Why is the Benelux the next growth market?

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

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

UK e-commerce is reaching a point of maturity where growth is increasingly hard 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 just the United Kingdom.

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

The Netherlands and Belgium combine one of the highest e-commerce rates in Europe with strong consumer spending, an advanced logistics infrastructure, and a population that is very familiar with online shopping. Together, they form one of the most accessible routes to continental Europe.

And increasingly, one of the most attractive as well.

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

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

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

For partners, this creates an attractive environment: mature consumers, high online engagement, and buying behavior that is already deeply rooted in daily life.

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

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

Dutch and Belgian consumers typically behave differently.

Convenience plays an increasingly major role in purchase decisions, leading many consumers to bundle their purchases on trusted platforms rather than visiting different specialized shops. As a result, e-commerce in the Netherlands is strongly concentrated around a small number of major players.

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

For UK brands, this means access to an audience that they might otherwise only reach after years of building up independently.

Successfully entering the Benelux requires more than just translating content and enabling international shipping. Consumers in both countries have clear expectations regarding convenience, reliability, and transparency.

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

Customers expect delivery promises to be kept. 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 a key role.

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

Local relevance matters.

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

For international partners, these expectations may feel demanding. But they also create opportunities. Brands that deliver consistent performance are often rewarded with strong customer loyalty and repeat purchases.

For many UK businesses, European expansion has become more complex following Brexit.

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

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

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

Bol recently opened its platform to UK 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 standards that Benelux consumers expect.

UK partners can benefit from bol's existing customer reach, marketplace infrastructure, and network of ecosystem 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 businesses can often enter the Benelux without having to fundamentally alter their e-commerce operations.

One area where operational excellence has a direct impact on commercial performance is logistics. Internal data shows that a reliable next-day delivery promise can increase conversion by up to 60%.

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

For UK partners, logistics naturally raises questions. To sell via bol, items must be shipped from within the EU, and partners must comply with relevant VAT and regulatory requirements. Businesses can work with their own EU warehouse or fulfilment partner, but bol also offers fulfilment solutions under 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 UK companies. Naturecan, the UK 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 during our reach expansion from the UK into 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 UK brands looking to enter the Dutch market with the right marketplace support.”

For UK 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 consumers actively embrace e-commerce, and where trusted platforms play a central role in the purchasing process.

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

For many brands, taking the step into the Benelux market with bol is therefore not just logical, but also one of the smartest moves to make.