Why is the Benelux the next growth market?

As it becomes increasingly difficult to achieve growth in the UK domestic market, brands are looking for new opportunities closer to home. The Benelux combines millions of active online shoppers with one of Europe's most developed e-commerce markets, making the region an interesting next step for ambitious retailers.

UK e-commerce grew by only 1%. The Benelux could be your next opportunity.

UK e-commerce is reaching a point of maturity where growth is increasingly difficult to find. Domestic e-commerce sales rose by only 1% in 2025. At the same time, cross-border e-commerce in the EMEA region grew six times faster.

For many brands, the implication is clear: future growth will increasingly come from international markets rather than solely from the United Kingdom.

The question is no longer whether to expand internationally, but where. For a growing number of British retailers, the answer is the Benelux.

The Netherlands and Belgium combine one of Europe's highest e-commerce rates with strong consumer spending, an advanced logistics infrastructure, and a population highly familiar with online shopping. Together, they form one of the most accessible routes to continental Europe.
And increasingly, one of the most attractive.

At first glance, the Netherlands and Belgium may seem relatively small compared to markets like Germany or France. However, e-commerce plays a remarkably large role in daily life.

Online retail penetration is around 30% in the Netherlands and 25% in Belgium. E-commerce adoption is among the highest in Europe, with 87% of Dutch customers and 72% of Belgian customers shopping online. Smartphone usage is also strong, resulting in a highly connected and digitally savvy audience.

Customers in both markets feel comfortable buying items across a wide range of categories, from home and living accessories and personal care to toys, sporting goods, and consumer electronics.

For partners, this creates an attractive environment: mature customers, high online engagement, and purchasing behavior already deeply embedded in daily life.

One of the biggest differences between the United Kingdom and the Benelux is the role marketplaces play in the customer journey.

In the United Kingdom, online spending is spread across a wide range of specialists, market leaders, and marketplaces. Customers are willing to shop with multiple providers and often prefer retailers who focus on a specific category.

Dutch and Belgian customers generally behave differently.

Convenience plays an increasingly important role in purchasing decisions, leading many customers to bundle their purchases on trusted platforms rather than visiting various specialized stores. As a result, e-commerce in the Netherlands is highly concentrated around a small number of large players.

That's where bol holds a unique position. As a leading marketplace in the Netherlands and Belgium, bol reaches about 14 million customers and collaborates with over 47,000 selling partners, including more than 1,200 international partners.

For British brands, this means access to an audience they might otherwise only reach after years of independent build-up.

To successfully enter the Benelux, more is needed than just translating content and enabling international shipping. Customers in both countries have clear expectations regarding convenience, reliability, and transparency.

Fast delivery is important, but reliability is even more crucial.

Customers expect delivery agreements to be accurate. They want clear communication, realistic delivery dates, and consistent service. In many categories, next-day delivery has become the norm rather than a premium service.

Content plays an important role.

Customers expect clear descriptions, accurate specifications, and images that realistically represent the item they are buying. Trust is built through clarity.

Local relevance is important.

Content specifically tailored to Dutch and Belgian customers performs better than generic international item listings. Items must be easy to understand, compare, and order.

For international partners, these expectations can feel demanding. But they also create opportunities. Brands that perform consistently are often rewarded with strong customer loyalty and repeat purchases.

For many British companies, European expansion has become more complex after Brexit.

Customs procedures, VAT requirements, and order fulfillment considerations have introduced operational challenges that did not exist before. In some cases, these complexities have even completely delayed expansion plans. That is understandable.

However, the opportunities remain significant, especially in digitally mature markets such as the Netherlands and Belgium. The key is finding the right route to market.

Instead of building local infrastructure entirely from scratch, many partners choose to collaborate with existing marketplace ecosystem partners that already provide access to customers, logistics expertise, and local market knowledge.

Bol recently opened its platform to British partners and has invested heavily in supporting international growth. The goal is simple: to minimize the complexity of cross-border selling as much as possible, while maintaining the service levels that Benelux customers expect.

British partners can benefit from bol's existing customer reach, marketplace infrastructure, and network of technology partners. Integrators such as Rithum, Channable, and Tradebyte help partners connect their existing systems, manage content, and streamline operational processes across different markets.

This means that companies can often enter the Benelux without having to fundamentally adjust their e-commerce operations.

One area where operational excellence directly impacts commercial performance is logistics. Internal data shows that a reliable next-day delivery guarantee can increase conversion by as much as 60%.

Customers are much more likely to make a purchase when delivery is fast and reliable. It is a crucial factor in the purchasing decision-making process for the Dutch customer. Reliable delivery also contributes to better visibility, more positive reviews, and fewer complaints.

For British partners, logistics naturally raises questions. To sell via bol, items must be shipped from the EU, and partners must comply with relevant VAT and regulations. Companies can work with their own EU warehouse or fulfillment partner, but bol also offers fulfillment solutions under the name 'Logistics via bol', designed to help international partners create a local delivery experience.

Successful partners no longer view logistics as an operational hurdle, but rather as a competitive advantage.

The opportunity is already attracting British companies. Naturecan, the British wellness brand, has successfully entered the Dutch market via bol.

According to Dylan de Vrieze, Ecommerce Manager Netherlands at Naturecan:

“Bol has proven to be a strong marketplace partner for Naturecan in expanding our reach from the United Kingdom to the Dutch market. The onboarding process was clear and supportive, and we are already seeing promising initial responses from Dutch customers. It is a valuable channel for British brands looking to enter the Dutch market with the right marketplace support.”

For British brands looking beyond their home market, the Benelux offers an attractive combination of scale, digital maturity, and purchasing power. It is a market where online shopping is deeply embedded in daily life, where customers actively embrace e-commerce, and where trusted platforms play a central role in the purchasing process.

The challenge is not whether there is demand. The challenge is to enter the market efficiently. By combining access to 14 million customers, a trusted local brand, a comprehensive logistics network, and a growing ecosystem of international partners, bol offers British partners a practical route to one of Europe's most developed e-commerce regions.

For many brands, the step into the Benelux market with bol is therefore not only logical but also one of the smartest.