In 2024, Dutch consumers spent a record €36 billion online, a 5% increase compared to 2023. Interestingly, the number of online purchases dropped by 1% to 345 million. These figures come from the latest Thuiswinkel Markt Monitor, an annual study on Dutch consumer e-commerce behaviour conducted by research firms NielsenIQ GfK, commissioned by Thuiswinkel.org (the Dutch e-commerce association), Retail Insiders, and in collaboration with PostNL and the Dutch Payments Association.
Online services see biggest growth – insurance leads the way
The strongest growth in 2024 came from online services, which saw a 10% year-on-year increase. Within this category, insurance stood out:
- Online insurance spending rose by 20%
- The number of online insurance purchases increased by 16%
According to Marlene ten Ham, director of Thuiswinkel.org, this growth was largely driven by bike insurance policies, often arranged directly at the point of sale, and a rise in consumers switching health insurance providers, which in the Netherlands is common at the end of the calendar year.
However, the share of insurance policies arranged directly by consumers online is slightly decreasing, as more people are insured via their employers again.
Strong online demand for tickets and events
Tickets for events and attractions also saw strong growth:
- Online spending: +15%
- Number of purchases: +8%
The first quarter of 2024 showed a clear spike, particularly in festival tickets, concerts, and theme park visits.
Product spending rebounds, but purchase frequency drops
After two years of decline, spending on physical products saw a 2% increase in 2024. This was mainly due to telecom products, up 12%, largely driven by higher-value purchases such as smartphones.
At the same time, the number of product purchases fell by 3%. Consumers appear to be placing larger or higher-value orders per transaction. For instance:
- Food & near-food (e.g. groceries) saw 6% fewer orders, but higher spend per order
- DIY & Garden purchases dropped by 11%, but spending increased by 9%
This could be due to price inflation or more bundled purchases per transaction.
Cross-border shopping continues to grow
More than half of Dutch consumers (55%) made at least one cross-border online purchase in 2024. In total, €4.4 billion was spent on international e-commerce platforms (+12%), accounting for 41 million purchases (+4%).
For the first time, China became the most popular country for international purchases:
- 28% of all cross-border orders were placed with Chinese webshops (2023: 21%)
- Dutch consumers made 11.5 million purchases, totalling €434 million
Other popular countries for international purchases include:
- Germany: now second at 23%
- United States: now third
- United Kingdom: dropped from 13% to 7%
Chinese platforms saw the most growth in clothing, DIY & garden tools, and personal lifestyle items.
iDEAL and Klarna gain traction in online payments
The Dutch online payment method iDEAL – a bank-based instant payment solution widely used in the Netherlands – saw a small overall increase:
- From 71% to 72% of all online payments in 2024
- For cross-border purchases: from 50% to 53%
Other trends in payment methods:
- Klarna (pay later) increased from 7% to 9% in international transactions
- Credit card use declined slightly, from 25% to 22%
Looking ahead: services overtake products in online spending
The Dutch retail landscape – both online and offline – is expected to remain dynamic. Based on forecasts from NielsenIQ GfK, online shopping will continue to gain ground over physical retail.
There is also a notable long-term shift:
- In 2020, 75% of Dutch online spending was on physical products
- In 2024, that share dropped to 60%, with services taking a growing piece of the pie
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