Bol widened its lead over Amazon.nl in the Dutch ecommerce sector, according to a new ranking from ECDB. The data reveals that while the domestic market leader recorded strong expansion, the American giant grew at a significantly slower pace. This shift marks a notable change in the competitive balance of the country’s online retail market. The rankings specifically measure spending by Dutch online shoppers, providing a precise view of domestic consumer behavior rather than just international traffic.
ECDB, a German firm that publishes international rankings under the slogan “Follow the Money,” released figures based on transaction data. The company estimates gross merchandise volume, which includes VAT and combines first-party and third-party sales. These metrics provide a clear snapshot of where Dutch consumers actually spend their money online. To ensure accuracy, the firm supplements its primary transaction data with company reports, website traffic statistics, and other relevant market data sources.
Market Share Shifts in 2025
The latest Twinkle100 and ECDB rankings place Bol firmly in first position for both 2024 and 2025. In 2025, Bol’s domain recorded spending of 5,813.7 million euros, up from 5,189.3 million euros in the previous year.
This represents a growth rate of 12.0 percent. In contrast, Amazon.nl saw spending of 3,314.7 million euros, a modest increase of 2.7 percent from 3,228.5 million euros. Previously, ECDB reported that Amazon was growing faster than Bol in the Netherlands, but the new figures indicate this trend has reversed entirely.
AliExpress climbed to third place for the first time, signaling a steady gain in marketshare. The platform recorded spending of 1,811.8 million euros, a 13.3 percent jump from the prior year. This surge highlights the increasing penetration of international platforms in the local market.
Meanwhile, Coolblue.nl and AH.nl hovered near the back of the top five, with growth rates of 0.7 percent and 0.2 percent, respectively. The figures indicate that volume is concentrating among the top players rather than spreading evenly across the market.
Financial Pressure and Slowing Growth
The gap between the two leaders has expanded considerably. In 2024, Bol was almost 61 percent larger than its American competitor.
By 2025, that difference increased to more than 75 percent. ECDB noted that Bol’s merchandise volume was 75 percent higher than Amazon’s, cementing its status as the dominant force in the sector.
Owner Ahold Delhaize reported total net consumer online sales of 6.3 billion euros for Bol last year. This figure excludes VAT but includes partner sales and activity in Belgium. The company reported an 8.4 percent growth rate, though recent quarters have shown signs of slowdown. Ahold Delhaize cited comparisons with a strong previous year and consumers under financial pressure choosing cheaper products. While the parent company has not shared recent specific figures for Bol, it noted that results were affected by the challenging comparison base and shifting consumer preferences toward value.
It is worth noting that the regulatory environment is also influencing how these platforms operate. Last month, the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets published a draft decision concerning Bol. The investigation, which began several years ago, raised concerns about whether the platform favored its own operations. Bol has since committed to several changes, many of which have already been implemented to address these structural issues.
Amazon’s Strategic Position
Amazon entered the Dutch market aggressively in March 2020, transforming Amazon.nl into a general online marketplace. The company targets Dutch sellers with a pitch that using Amazon serves as a springboard to other European countries. At the time of entry, Amazon was already the market leader in Europe’s largest ecommerce markets, bringing significant global scale to the local arena.
According to figures submitted to the European Commission, Amazon had around 6.4 million monthly users in the Netherlands during the second half of last year. This includes users of both Amazon.nl and international sites like Amazon.de and Amazon.com.
That user base equals approximately half of all Dutch consumers. To strengthen its local position, Amazon is investing more than 1.4 billion euros in the Netherlands over three years.
Despite this investment, a recent study by FiveX found that Amazon is the most expensive marketplace for online sellers in the country. The platform charged an average commission fee of 19.7 percent in August, compared with a market average of 14.5 percent.
Bol’s average commission fee was slightly lower than the market average, at 14.2 percent. This cost structure may be a factor in why Bol continues to attract sellers who are sensitive to margin erosion. The platform has evolved from a simple online store into a complex ecosystem offering marketing, logistics, and payment services to tens of thousands of partners. Bol continues to add services and revenue models to its ecosystem, including parcel delivery. As the market matures, the focus is shifting from pure user growth to the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of the platforms themselves.
