Bol.com sales dip nearly 3 percent in Q4

Dutch marketplace Bol.com’s sales have slightly lowered in 2022. In the last quarter, online sales decreased nearly 3 percent compared to an 7,8 percent increase the year before. In all of 2022, gross trading volume lowered nearly 2 percent.

Mother company Ahold Delhaize released its fourth quarter results today. Late last year, Bol.com announced layoffs due to red numbers in the first half of 2022.

Partner sales shrink 1.6 percent

While the biggest online store in the Netherlands saw its sales grow 7,8 percent in Q4 of 2021, last year this number has decreased by 2,9 percent. In the last quarter of 2022, net online sales of partner sellers shrunk 1.6 percent. The sales of its 51.000 third-party merchants represent 57 percent of Bol.com’s Q4 revenue.

Partner sales represent 57% of Q4 revenue.

Trade volume decreases 1,9 percent

Over all of 2022, gross trade volume for Bol.com amounts to 5,5 billion euros. This is 1,9 percent lower compared to the year before.

On the other hand, total online sales for Ahold Delhaize have increased 4,9 percent. However, this is mostly thanks to the United States market, which grew by 14,5 percent. In contrast, Europe saw a decline of 0,1 percent.

‘Challenging ecommerce market conditions’

In December, Bol.com laid off 10 percent of staff.

In its annual report, Ahold Delhaize points to ‘challenging non-food e-commerce market conditions in the Benelux and the cycling of lockdown destrictions’. Only in December of last year, Bol.com let go 10 percent of its staff. The layoff round followed disappointing results in the first half of 2021. The marketplace has also been putting off its original plans for an IPO.