Dutch Consumers Spent €35.7 Billion Online in 2026, a 1% Decline from 2024
Dutch online spending dips in 2026 as cross-border shopping surges
The number of online purchases remained steady at 347 million, the same as in 2024. Cross-border spending accounted for 13% of total online expenditures—€4.5 billion (+2% compared to 2024)—and 45 million purchases (+9%).
These findings come from the latest Thuiswinkel Markt Monitor, a study on Dutch online consumer spending conducted by NielsenIQ on behalf of Thuiswinkel.org and Retail Insiders, in collaboration with PostNL and the Dutch Payments Association.
Services Sector Shrinks for the First Time Since 2021
For the first time since 2021, the services sector has seen a decline, with online purchases dropping by 11% and spending by 5%. Tickets for attractions and events experienced the sharpest fall, with expenditures down 12% and purchases down 14%. Concerts, festivals, and sporting events, in particular, saw a notable decrease compared to previous years.
Online travel bookings also declined. Spending on standalone flights and accommodations fell by 2%, while package holidays dropped by 4%. The number of purchases decreased more sharply, by 9% and 8%, respectively.
"After several years of growth, we're seeing demand for services cool off," says Marlene ten Ham, CEO of Thuiswinkel.org. "This trend isn't limited to online—overall spending on services is declining at a similar rate."
Growth in Online Product Purchases
Online spending on products continued to grow (+2%), driven by strong performance in Home & Living (+12%), Consumer Electronics (+10%), and Food & Near-Food (+4%). Toys also saw a significant increase (+24%).
After years of decline, the number of online product purchases rose again (+2%), with notable growth in DIY & Garden (+11%) and Consumer Electronics (+16%).
Cross-Border Purchases Keep Rising, China Strengthens Lead
The growth in cross-border online shopping persists. In 2025, the number of cross-border purchases reached 44.8 million (+9%), with total spending hitting €4.5 billion (+2%). In 2021, these figures were 35.5 million purchases and €2.9 billion in spending.
As with domestic purchases, this growth is primarily driven by products. Categories like DIY & Garden, Footwear & Personal Lifestyle, and Home & Living saw strong increases in cross-border sales. In 2021, only 8% of Home & Living purchases were made abroad; by 2025, that figure had risen to 17%. Spending in this category also grew from 8% to 13%.
Dutch consumers still most frequently shop at Chinese online stores when buying abroad. China accounted for 31% of all cross-border purchases in 2025, up from 28% in 2024, further solidifying its lead. The United States (down from 12% to 9%) and the United Kingdom (down from 7% to 6%) lost ground.
"Consumers are getting better at finding foreign online stores, especially for products," says ten Ham. "At the same time, the rapid growth of Chinese retailers underscores the importance of ensuring consumers know what they're buying—and that all sellers comply with the same European quality and safety regulations."
Smartphones Increasingly Dominant in Online Shopping
Smartphones are playing a growing role in online shopping. In 2025, 41% of all online purchases were made via smartphone, up 5 percentage points from 2024. Meanwhile, desktop and laptop usage fell from 49% to 45%. Ten Ham notes: "In the future, we expect smartphones to become the primary device for online shopping. Consumers want to shop anytime, anywhere, and retailers are increasingly optimizing their mobile platforms and apps to meet that demand."
For cross-border purchases, smartphone usage grew more slowly, rising only slightly from 35% to 36%.
iDEAL Remains the Top Payment Method
While iDEAL's market share dipped from 72% to 71%, it remains the most popular payment method. Credit card usage also declined slightly, from 9% to 8%, while Klarna's share grew from 3% to 4%. With upcoming changes in the payments market—including iDEAL's rebranding to Wero in 2026, stricter Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) regulations, and the rollout of updated payment cards enabling online transactions—it will be interesting to see how these trends evolve.
