The Netherlands

Online marketplace Bol has launched several updates this month. One of the updates is a new advertising option that allows sellers to highlight their brand and assortment in search results. There are also changes to the partner platform and review policy.

No country in the world has as many internet users shopping online as the Netherlands, according to a new report by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). The ecommerce penetration rate is 84 percent. At least four out of five internet users in the UK, Sweden, and Denmark also shop online.

At least 95.8 percent of European consumers shopped online in the first quarter of this year. In the United Kingdom, that percentage was 93 percent. And in the Netherland, 96 percent of consumers shopped online.

Swedish shipping software platform Ingrid is launching in the Netherlands. Retailers using the software can choose from more than 400 shipping options and carriers, in 80 countries and 42 languages, and add them to their online store. It is the company’s first international expansion.

Dutch recommerce platform BuyBay is launching a SaaS product, using its own recommerce software. Retailers and manufacturers can now resell returned products from their own distribution center. This will reduce their CO2-emission and increase their profit, says the company.

On January 1^st of this year, there were just over 101 thousand active online stores in the Netherlands. This means that the amount of online stores has more than tripled there in the last decade. Additionally, the amount of SMEs in this sector grew 252 percent during that period.

Last night, the Dutch Shopping Awards were presented for the 23^rd time. It is one of the most prestigious award shows in ecommerce in the Netherlands. Dutchies, a new online store selling handmade leather phone cases and bags won the PayPal Best Starter Award.

Last year, Dutch consumers spent 34.7 billion euros online. Compared to 2022, this is an increase of 3 percent. The amount of online purchases increased by 1 percent, to 365 million. Online growth was mainly caused by an increase in spending on services.

Dutch online furniture store Fonq has acquired Naduvi, a competing online platform, that sells furniture by dropshipping products to consumers. Combining scale and competencies will bring more focus to both companies. The amount of money involved in the deal was not disclosed.

Wish will offer European shoppers the opportunity to exchange used tech devices for money. To do this, Wish owner ContectLogic has entered into a partnership with refurbished goods provider Remarketed. The program will start in the Netherlands next month, followed by other European countries.

Dutch omnichannel retailer Coolblue has generated a revenue of 2.41 billion euros last year. This was an increase of 2.5 percent compared to a year earlier. Additionally, the company doubled its earnings before interest to 88.3 million euros.

Dutch online platform Bol has generated a turnover of 2.9 billion euros in 2023. This is a growth of 7.3 percent compared to a year earlier. Additionally, its GMV reached 5.8 billion euros, a growth of 4.9 percent.

German online pet supply store Zooplus is launching its subscription program in Belgium and the Netherlands. In total, the subscription is now available in 8 markets. In the coming months, the retailer is expanding the model into 20 European markets.

Within the top 100 of the biggest online stores in the Netherlands in 2023, 63 percent was custom-built. A year earlier, the amount of these kinds of stores was still 55 percent. Compared to 2020, this is a growth of 50 percent.

Olsam, a British ecommerce aggregator has acquired Dutch competitor Dwarfs. The amount involved in the acquisition was not disclosed. At the same time, the combined company, called Olsam Group, will receive an enlarged credit facility to pursue future acquisitions.