Dutch cross-border e-commerce spending rises in 2017

By

Shomara Roosblad

Published
Apr 11, 2018

In 2017, cross-border e-commerce spending continued to rise in the Netherlands.  Dutch consumers spend €817 million at non-Dutch online stores, a 28 percent increase compared to €673 million in 2016.

Nearly three out of 10 Dutch consumers, aged 15 and above  made one or more purchases at non-Dutch web shops in 2017, which totals a number of 3.8 million cross-border consumers. In 2016, cross-border e-commerce spending increased by +24 percent. In total, 4% of Dutch consumer spending in 2017 was composed of cross-border e-commerce spending. A year earlier, this was 3 percent, according to a research by Thuiswinkel Markt Monitor, which studied online consumer spending in the Netherlands.

China remained the largest cross-border market for Dutch consumers in 2017, as 30% of all spending at Non-Dutch online stores was in China. In total, Dutch consumers spent € 248 million on Chinese websites, growth of 31% compared to 2016. China was particularly popular for the purchase of consumer electronics, IT, home & garden products, telecom products and toys.

Wijnand Jongen, director of Thuiswinkel.org, said in a press release: “China is once again the most popular destination for Dutch cross-border spending, mainly because of low prices and low delivery costs. [In previous years,] Chinese companies have had great advantages over European retailers, enabling them to market their products for lower prices in the European Union. As of 1 January 2018, however, an end has come to low-priced shipping costs. There is now a new international tariff system that makes the shipping of commercial mail from China more expensive. In addition, Chinese web shops will also have to pay VAT for cross-border shipments with an order value of less than € 22, as of 2021. This brings to an end the years of China's exceptional position and the VAT evasion that accompanied it. These measures will contribute to a level playing field for Dutch (web) stores.”

After China, Germany was the most popular cross-border market for Dutch consumers, 17% of Dutch cross-border spending was at German web stores, followed by Great Britain with a share of 14%. Of all cross-border spending in 2017, €486 million (59%) consisted of the purchase of products and €331 million (41%) included the purchase of services.