Web shoppers in the Netherlands spent €3.63 billion over Q1 2014 as three in four people aged 15+ turned to buying online.
That is according to new figures from Thuiswinkel, the Dutch branch association for e-commerce businesses in the Netherlands, which claims that 76% of the country’s total population now shop over the web.
This unforeseen rise has led to a spike in revenue for Dutch online businesses, who will take much positivity from the fact that one in nine products are purchased through the internet.
Economy booster
In a set of readings which have been described as “much higher” than analysts had predicted, the Thuiswinkel Markt Monitor shows money generated through e-commerce is now accounting for 22% of all retail expenditure in the Netherlands.
Nearly three quarters of online sales are represented by the trading of physical products, with clothing, toys and consumer electronics all proving popular. Services account for 23% of all deals in this area, which includes items such as e-tickets for travel and insurance policies.
With more consumers than ever now using the internet to make their purchases, Thuiswinkel president Wijnand Jongen claims that e-commerce has upped its contribution the Dutch economy, and now represents 4.83% of the country’s GDP.
New buyers
In Q1 2014, a fair share of online purchases in the Netherlands were made by residents with experience in shopping over the web. However, the fact that 250,000 people enjoyed their first e-commerce experience between January-March suggests there is still more growth to come.
A separate poll from Thuiswinkel indicated that customer service could be why so many are choosing to venture down this route. Of those who did shop online during Q1, 90% said they were ‘very happy’ with their experience, mainly due to the convenience and luxury of being able to shop at all hours of the day.