For the first time in years, Dutch online spending on products is on the rise again. In the first quarter of this year, consumers spent more than 9 billion euros online. This is an increase of 4 percent, which was driven by the increased online spending on products.
These data come from the latest Thuiswinkel Market Monitor, which shows the current state of ecommerce in the Netherlands. Previous research by the ecommerce association Thuiswinkel.org showed that online spending on services increased as much as 10 percent in 2024. This changed in the first quarter of this year: spending on services fell 2 percent (compared to the same period in 2024).
Over the past few years, online spending on products has consistently declined. Remarkably, they increased in the first quarter of this year, for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Higher spending on cooking and kitchen utensils
According to the researchers, there was particularly higher spending in the Home & Living category, which saw a 46 percent increase. This means that consumers spent more money on cookware, kitchen appliances and household textiles.
‘Spending on Home & Living shows a clear shift from offline to online’
“Spending on Home & Living shows a clear shift from offline to online. The online share of spending has increased from 24 percent in the first quarter of 2024 to 36 percent in the first quarter of 2025. In addition, a strong increase in the average amount spent contributes to the online growth of the Home & Living category,” says Marlene ten Ham, general director at Thuiswinkel.org.
Number of online purchases fell 3%
The total amount of purchases reached 84 million in the first quarter of 2025. Compared to a year earlier, this is a decrease of 3 percent. The number of product purchases fell less sharply, down 1 percent.
Ecommerce share has increased
Within total Dutch retail spending, the online share increased by 2 percentage points, from 31 to 33 percent. This is mainly due to spending on products, where the online share grew from 21 to 23 percent. The online share within services remained 88 percent.
‘Online shopping has become a structural part of how consumers compare and buy’
“The growing online share in products and continuing high share in services, underlines how indispensable ecommerce is in the Dutch retail landscape. Online shopping has long since ceased to be a supplement to physical retail, but a full and structural part of how consumers orient, compare and buy with or without the physical store.”
Cross-border spending increased 6%
Dutch people spent 6 percent more online at international online stores in the first quarter this year than in the same period in 2024. Indeed, online cross-border spending reached 1.2 billion euros. This was due to a 17 percent increase in spending on cross-border products. The number of cross-border purchases also increased by 6 percent.
Cross-border share of stores from the US has decreased
It is notable, however, that the share of online stores from the United States has declined within cross-border spending. In the first quarter of 2024, they still had a 12 percent share. This year it was 8 percent.
“The decline in spending at online shops based in the US is related to broader geopolitical and economic developments. At a time when trade barriers, import duties and the public debate about a possible trade war are flaring up, consumers are becoming more cautious. European online stores offer not only convenience, but also certainty about delivery times, costs and consumer rights.”
