Belgium

Belgian ecommerce trade association BeCommerce has launched a new trustmark for ads by influencers. The trustmark aims to prevent fraudulent sales on social media. Belgian consumers can now easily check whether an influencer complies with European legislation.

In the seventeenth edition of the BeCommerce Awards, Bijenkorf.be was awarded with The Becommerce Award. It can now call itself the best Belgian online store for a year. It competed with four other nominees for this title.

Last year, Belgian trade association BeCommerce launched a project called Ezyshop. At least 2,140 companies signed up to receive individual coaching sessions. According to the organization, Belgian retailers need extra support and the government should help.

Carrefour’s online shop in Belgium is getting a software system redesign. As a result, the product offer has been reduced. This can last until the beginning of next year, the company says.

Consumers in Belgium spent 7.22 billion euros online in the first half of this year. This is a growth of 30 percent when compared to the same period a year ago. Ordering on a smartphone is becoming increasingly popular.

Belgian software startup Garvis has raised 3.5 million euros. The company uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) to predict stock levels. Garvis will use the funds to develop its platform and accelerate international expansion.

Ecommerce giant Amazon has acquired Belgian mechatronics specialist Cloostermans. It is unclear what amount was involved in the deal. Amazon will scale up its robotics operations with Cloostermans’ technology.

PostNL, the biggest postal company in the Netherlands, wants to expand its logistics network in Belgium. Before the end of the year, it will open 350 extra pick-up/drop-off (PUDO) points. Currently, PostNL owns 1.000 service locations in Belgium.

Benelux’s leading marketplace Bol.com now has 50.000 partner sellers. The past three years the number of merchants almost doubled. Partners are responsible for 60 percent of the platform’s revenue in the first quarter of 2022. The growth in sellers is slowing down after the pandemic, though.

Working between 20:00 and midnight will no longer be prohibited in Belgium. After months of negotiating about night work, the government has reached an agreement. It seems that Belgian ecommerce can finally start catching up.

Ecommerce giant Amazon is launching in Belgium, with Amazon Belgium. The marketplace is said to launch in September. Earlier this year, the company announced plans of opening a logistics center in the country.

Inditex, the major clothing retail group from Spain, is now charging a fixed fee for online returns. The owner of brands such as Zara, Pull & Bear and Bershka is implementing this change in 30 countries. It wants to motivate customers to return items in brick-and-mortar stores.

123inkt, a Dutch e-tailer of print cartridges and office supplies, is for sale. The company is said to be worth at least 500 million euros. Since its last annual numbers, the company has grown significantly, sources say.

Online fashion marketplace Secret Sales is entering Belgium and the Netherlands with dedicated online shops. The websites will be managed by a local team in the Netherlands. It's the first step in the company's planned European expansion.

Ecommerce in Belgium was worth 11.7 billion euros in 2021. This is a growth of 33 percent when compared to the situation one year earlier. At the end of the year, a total of 56.642 online stores were registered in Belgium.