The Netherlands is a relatively easy place to do business, with a low-regulation economy, good sea/road/air connectivity and long-standing position in world trade. Covering an amazing 41 square miles, Rotterdam is the largest sea port in Europe and key gateway for goods flow. Post-Brexit, many British online retailers have chosen the Netherlands to incorporate EU businesses and locate fulfilment centres to ensure friction-free trade with their customers across the bloc.

With very high levels of internet and mobile commerce penetration, the Netherlands should be on the roadmap for any growing online retailer. However, despite it’s outward-facing credentials, the market is largely dominated by local ecommerce brands and cross-border sales accounting for a lowly 15% of all purchases. Parcel delivery is a key driver in Dutch ecommerce culture and fast fulfilment of orders is essential to win customer loyalty with reported 25% sales uplifts for sellers offering next-day delivery.

Smartphones are a way of life for the Dutch, with 87 percent of people having mobile internet, compared to the EU average of 65 percent. This is driving the growth of mobile commerce which is expected to be a $16bn market in 2022. The highest-performing websites in the Netherlands have been built to a mobile-first standard and Dutch banks are innovating fast in in the field of mobile payments.