Belgium adds 200,000 new online shoppers in 2020, e-commerce market has great potential

According to the latest news, the value of Belgian e-commerce in 2020 was 10.26 billion euros. Compared with 2019, sales on Belgian online platforms increased by one third, and the number of online shoppers increased by approximately 200,000.

Data from BeCommerce Market Monitor shows that Belgian online shoppers spent 7.5 million euros on online shopping, which is one-third more than in 2019.

The website data also shows that the types of goods that Belgians are most keen to buy include consumer electronics, home electronics, computer accessories, fashion products, furniture and household items, toys, leisure and DIY related products.

According to a report released by the E-Commerce Foundation, the gender ratio of online shoppers in Belgium is relatively balanced, with males accounting for 49% and females accounting for 51%. In terms of age distribution, consumers aged 20-49 account for 54%, making them the main force of online shopping in Belgium. Online shoppers aged 50-64 account for a relatively high proportion, at 23%.

Computer shopping is still the choice of most Belgian cross-border online shoppers, and the proportion of shopping on mobile devices such as mobile phones has increased. 68% of consumers use online banking to pay, 42% use credit cards to pay, followed by PayPal. This shows the huge space for the development of e-commerce in Belgium.

Of the total online transactions, 25% of the transaction volume comes from cross-border transactions. In addition to shopping on domestic platforms, most Belgian online shoppers also choose cross-border shopping. The proportion is that consumers tend to prefer Dutch sellers, followed by China, Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States, France, etc. Belgium has many official languages, and the diversity of language choices is also one of the reasons for the large number of cross-border shoppers.

The website data shows that among the factors that influence the consumption behavior of Belgian online shoppers, price is the dominant factor, followed by satisfaction, logistics speed, shopping habits, product selection and efficiency. Currently, the most popular e-commerce platforms in Belgium are Amazon, Coolblue of the Netherlands, Bol.com of the Netherlands, Zalando of Spain and Apple. The development of Belgian local e-commerce comprehensive platforms is relatively slow, and overseas e-commerce is mainly a shopping platform for consumers.

According to people familiar with the matter, Belgium's e-commerce strength has exploded since 2020, and the development of the local e-commerce market in 2021 is more promising and worth looking forward to. Belgium's superior geographical location, developed industry and service industry, and booming export-oriented economy all bring advantages to Belgium's development of cross-border e-commerce.

Cross-border e-commerce market

Belgium