Netherlands Shipping & Selling eCommerce Guide

Shipping to the Netherlands is an excellent way to grow your eCommerce business! A small yet wealthy and well-connected country, this European nation offers an outstanding eCommerce opportunity for online merchants seeking to go cross-border to the EU market.

Before you start shipping to the Netherlands, it’s important to grasp the country’s eCommerce market better. Here’s a closer look at some market insights, online marketplaces, times to consider selling, shipping restrictions and more!

Cross-Border eCommerce Sales Rising

The Netherlands is a geographically small but densely populated country of approximately 17 million people located in Northwestern Europe. The country boasts Europe’s largest port, Rotterdam, and currently has a GDP per capita of $45,756, which is projected to increase to $50,549 by 2022.

Currently, there are over 8 million eCommerce users in the Netherlands and by 2022, this number is expected to increase by over 400,000. Online shoppers are also expected to spend an average of $1,924.97 every year.

Internet penetration in the Netherlands is over 95 percent and approximately 79 percent of the country’s consumers have ordered goods or services online at some point. Notably, cross-border eCommerce sales in the Netherlands have been steadily increasing in recent years compared to domestic sales.

As of 2017, the country’s eCommerce industry is valued at over $25.3 billion. Approximately 86 percent of the purchases being made via desktop, a significant contrast to the eight percent of purchases on tablets and three percent on smartphones respectively, meaning that online merchants looking to sell in the Netherlands should prioritize optimizing their online stores for desktop usage first and foremost.

Many Local Online Marketplaces Remain Popular

Although well-known, global online marketplaces such as Amazon and eBay are popular in the Netherlands, a number of local online marketplaces are also widely used. A few to consider selling on include:

• Bol.com
• Coolblue
• Wehkamp
• Amazon
• Zalando
• eBay
• Bestlist.nl
• Alibaba
• AH.nl
• Media Market

In order to make the most of the opportunities that abound in this cross-border market, you should take your time to check out these eCommerce marketplaces in detail. Doing so can help you decide which ones best suit your business, especially in terms of competition, products offered, traffic volume and other factors.

Fashion Products Enjoy Strong Popularity

Having a better understanding of what the Dutch like to buy online is crucial if you’re looking into shipping to the Netherlands. A few of the top eCommerce product categories in the country include:

• Fashion is currently the most popular product category and accounts for approximately $5.8 billion in market share, which is expected to rise to $7.7 billion by 2022.
• Toys, hobby and DIY items are the next most popular category and generate approximately $2.1 billion in revenue, with an expected increase to $2.8 billion by 2022.

Major Holidays Offer Great Selling Opportunities

Just as in many countries around the world, holidays offer excellent selling opportunities. A few popular holidays in the Netherlands include:

• New Year’s
• Easter
• King’s Day
• National Remembrance Day
• Liberation Day
• Christmas

Shipping to the Netherlands

Before you send a parcel to the Netherlands, it’s critical to understand the country’s import regulations. To that end, here’s a quick look at restricted and prohibited items in the Netherlands!

Restricted items in the Netherlands

• Animals, birds and other livestock
• Poultry
• Wood
• Drugs and pharmaceuticals
• Textiles
• Beverages
• Fuel oil

Prohibited items in the Netherlands

• Explosives
• Counterfeit or pirated goods
• Counterfeit coins, bank notes, passports and other forged legal documents
• Weapons
• Tobacco products
• Unregistered pharmaceutical products

The more exhaustive list can be found here.

The Netherlands also has VAT rates of up to 21 percent depending on the specific product category with a tax threshold of 22 EUR and duty threshold of 150 EUR. Import duties on mobile devices, tablets, cameras and jewelry is zero percent, though fashion products face a 12 percent duty while luggage and watches face duties of five and 5.5 percent, respectively.

Local and International Couriers to Use

Fortunately, many couriers offer shipping to the Netherlands, including DHL, UPS and FedEx as well as USPS.

Be sure to check out the Easyship shipping rates calculator and our Netherlands page for more information!

The Netherlands: A Thriving eCommerce Market

Cross-border shipping to the Netherlands is an excellent way to grow your online store. With Easyship’s global courier network and pre-negotiated rates, it’s even easier! Sign up for a free account today to start exploring opportunities in this prosperous and growing European eCommerce market.