The opportunity in Netherlands eCommerce…
The biggest online store in the Netherlands and Belgium, Bol.com, saw a growth of 15 million visitors per month on the Dutch website compared to Q3 last year. The Belgian website had 2 million extra visitors. With a steady growth of selling partners on the platform, the product range grew with 42 percent in one year.
Bol.com is the biggest online store in the Netherlands, and it is becoming more and more of a platform. Retailers can become selling partners and sell their products on the website. The company runs a dedicated online shop in the Netherlands and Belgium. It has now published its quarterly PlatformMonitor, a report about consumer behavior and shifts taking place at the platform’s sales partners.
The platform has a total amount of 12.833.087 active customers.
Traffic generated by the websites grew strongly. The Dutch website saw a growth of 15 million visitors per month, and the Belgian website had 2 million extra visitors per month compared with Q3 in 2020. This traffic led to a total amount of active customers of 12.833.087. These are customers that have placed at least one order at Bol.com in the last 365 days.
Revenue share of partners grew
When mortar-and-brick stores had to close due to the pandemic, Bol.com saw its total selling partners grow from 30.616 in April 2020 to 38.808 in September that year. This was a growth of 8.192. In the same time-frame in 2021, the total amount of sellers grew with 2.045 from 45.505 to 47.550. This means that the strong growth of the total number of partners is leveling off.
The ongoing growth of partners on the platform led to a bigger product range. The amount of products for sale grew with 42 percent in one year to a total of 38.201.321 (compared to a total of 26.872.974 in Q3 last year).
Customers are more likely to buy from partners than from Bol.com.
The revenue share of partner sellers versus that of Bol.com itself has grown as well, in both The Netherlands and in Belgium. Compared to the same quarter last year, revenue shares of partners in the Netherlands grew with 4.13 percent to a share of 58.67 percent. Within Belgium, the revenue share of partners grew with 2.21 percent to 59.97 percent. This means that customers are more likely to buy from partners who sell on the platform than from Bol.com itself.
As every year, Dutch magazine Twinkle has ranked the 250 biggest ecommerce stores in the Netherlands. While Bol.com remains the biggest player, the next five biggest online stores in the Netherlands in 2020 were the same five as the year before with Coolblue and Albert Heijn following in place 2 and 3. However, Albert Heijn is closing the gap between itself and its predecessor quickly. Garden centers and hardware stores grew the fastest, and meal delivery companies also climbed higher on the list.
Albert Heijn closing in on Pieter Zwart
Pieter Zwart’s company has a lead on Albert Heijn with a difference in turnover of only 190 million euros. Last year, that gap was well over 400 million euros. Albert Heijn is therefore on its way to lead the top 10 alongside sister company Bol.com, followed by well-known Zalando and Wehkamp. Although Amazon has entered the market with a Dutch online store, it remains at number 6.
Online grocery delivery knocks fashion out of the top 10
What striking is that former top 10 members About You and H&M have left the field. They make way for two newcomers in the top 10: online supermarket Picnic (place 8) and meal delivery company HelloFresh (place 10). It was expected that Picnic would climb higher on the last, with a turnover this year of more than 400 million euros. Supermarkets have done well in the past corona year: Jumbo retains its place in the top 10.
Home, garden and food are doing extra well
The home and garden categories saw the largest growth last year, especially garden centers and hardware stores. Up to 70 home and garden stores made the list this year, while in past years there were more than 50 stores in the list. The food category also performs well. In addition to the new top 10 position of Picnic and HelloFresh, online supermarket crisp makes an entrance at number 38.
Corona causes explosive turnover growth
Together, the total of 250 online store account for a turnover of 20.9 billion euros, which is about 1200 euros per Dutch person. In 2019, online sales still amounted to 900 euros per inhabitant. This is an unprecedented growth of no less than 45 percent. Just as the catching up of food deliverers, this growth is probably a result of the lockdowns.
‘Turnover of Dutch online stores has doubled since 2017.’
If we go back further, the turnover of Dutch online stores has even doubled since 2017. The turnover growth is also reflected in the last year’s closing: it ends at 11 million euros, 3.5 million higher than in last year’s Twinkle100 edition.
Covid effect
Covid-19 has undeniably left its mark on this edition. “The influence of the corona pandemic on turnover figures cannot be underestimated”, says editor-in-chief Daniël Verheij. “It caused changes in our online buying behavior and that is clearly reflected in this list. For example, for the first time there are four food players in the top-10 of the Twinkle100. That is double compared to last year.”
Top 10 online stores in the Netherlands
1 bol.com €3,3 billion
2 Coolblue €1,4 billion
3 Albert Heijn €1,2 billion
4 Zalando €835 million
5 wehkamp €766 million
6 Amazon €530 million
7 Jumbo €503 million
8 Picnic €420 million
9 de Bijenkorf €380 million
10 HelloFresh €350 million
As the gateway to Europe, Netherlands offers some amazing opportunity in unlocking the power of Europe’s eCommerce potential. This mainland hub allows quick and easy fulfilment to each of the other European countries and allows for a better location to drip feed stock into FBA centres across Europe. We offer a 3PL (third party logistics) location just 5 minutes from the Amsterdam airport.