Belgium B2C Ecommerce Market Size & Forecast by Value and Volume Across 80+ KPIs - Databook Q4 2025 Update

Key Trends and Drivers

Rebase growth on services-led online spending

• Belgium's e-commerce growth is now driven more by services (travel, tickets, digital services) than by physical goods. Recent sector reporting shows that in 2024, roughly a quarter of total consumer spending in Belgium occurred online, with package travel, airline tickets, and accommodation already accounting for a larger share of online spending than clothing and general retail. This shifts the centre of gravity of "e-commerce" from pure retail into travel and experience-led categories.
• The recovery and normalization of travel and events post-COVID are redirecting discretionary budgets back to holidays and leisure, and these categories are overwhelmingly booked online. High digital penetration and habit formation mean Belgian consumers are comfortable buying complex services (dynamic travel packages, airline ancillaries, concert tickets) online, not just consumer goods.
• Airlines, tour operators and large OTAs have invested heavily in digital self-service and dynamic pricing, nudging consumers toward online rather than offline intermediaries. E-commerce KPIs for Belgium will be increasingly sensitive to travel and events cycles; any volatility in tourism or transport will show up quickly in "e-commerce" growth.
• Retailers of physical goods will need to compete for share of wallet against travel and leisure, not just other retailers. They may seek more partnerships with travel platforms or loyalty ecosystems. Policy debates and industry lobbying around "e-commerce" will increasingly feature airlines, travel intermediaries, and ticketing platforms, as their share of online turnover continues to rise.

Compete in a structurally cross-border marketplace

• Belgium is structurally a cross-border e-commerce market. Recent Belgian and Benelux-focused analyses indicate that cross-border purchases account for roughly one-third of total Belgian online turnover, and that more than half of Belgian online shoppers buy from foreign webshops. Leading platforms include Dutch and German marketplaces and retailers such as bol.com, Amazon (including amazon.com.be) and Coolblue, which dominate the traffic podium in Belgium.
• Geography and language make it easy for Belgian consumers to shop in Dutch, French and German webshops, so neighbouring-country sites feel "local". Price sensitivity and assortment gaps in some categories (e.g., fashion, electronics) encourage consumers to compare across borders where large marketplaces can offer broader ranges and promotions.
• Domestic merchants have historically been slower to scale on marketplaces, leaving foreign merchants over-represented on major platforms serving Belgian consumers. Cross-border will remain a defining feature of Belgian e-commerce, not a niche; foreign marketplaces will continue to capture a disproportionate share of growth unless domestic sellers expand their presence on those marketplaces.
• Competitive benchmarks for delivery time, returns and customer service will increasingly be set at a Benelux or EU level; local merchants that operate only domestic logistics networks will feel pressure to match standards set by cross-border players. Policy and enforcement (e.g., around delivery options, product safety, VAT and consumer protection) will need to account for the fact that many "Belgian" online transactions are executed by foreign-based sellers using EU-wide platforms.

Design for mobile-first, Bancontact-anchored checkouts

• Belgium has become a mobile-first and local-payment-driven e-commerce market. Recent operational insights from logistics and digital agencies suggest that around six in ten online purchases now occur via smartphone, placing Belgium firmly in the mobile-first camp. On the payments side, Bancontact and the Bancontact-Payconiq mobile app remain the primary domestic rails for both in-store and online payments, with over 2.5 billion transactions in 2024 and continued growth. The ecosystem is now being rebranded and simplified under the "Bancontact Pay" banner.
• Strong 4G/5G infrastructure and high mobile internet speeds support fluid mobile shopping experiences, reinforcing smartphone usage for browsing and checkout. Belgian consumers show a clear preference for domestic payment schemes embedded in banking apps, with Bancontact widely recognized and integrated across local webshops and marketplaces.
• Banks and Bancontact Payconiq Company have actively consolidated brands and features into a single mobile proposition, reducing friction and increasing app-based payments in web and in-app checkouts. Checkout conversion will increasingly hinge on mobile UX and support for local payment methods; sites that rely mainly on cards or international wallets will underperform relative to those integrating Bancontact and the evolving Bancontact Pay ecosystem.
• The consolidation of Payconiq into Bancontact Pay will simplify consumer choice but raise the bar for technical compliance and UX consistency; merchants may need to update integrations to keep up with scheme changes. As EU instant payments and new schemes (such as the European "Wero" initiative linked to Payconiq's evolution) scale, Belgian consumers will gain more account-to-account options; this could gradually shift volume away from traditional card rails in e-commerce and further compress payment margins for acquirers.

Adapt to regulated, greener last-mile choices

• Belgium has hard-wired "choice and sustainability" into e-commerce delivery. From March 2024, a new legal requirement (Article VI.45/2 of the Economic Law Code) obliges online shops delivering in Belgium to offer at least two delivery options at checkout, with guidance and related rules pushing for at least one more sustainable alternative, such as parcel lockers or pickup points. In parallel, bpost has rapidly expanded its parcel locker (now "bbox") network, growing installations by about 40% in 2024 and planning to approximately double the network again in 2025.
• National climate objectives and the EU Green Deal have focused attention on last-mile emissions; regulators see out-of-home delivery as a lever to reduce failed deliveries and mileage per parcel.
• Postal and parcel operators like bpost are investing in parcel lockers and PUDO points as they align cost efficiency (fewer doorstep stops) with regulatory compliance and consumer demand for flexible pickup. Consumer expectations for fast yet predictable delivery, combined with high urban density, make lockers and pickup locations practical alternatives in Belgian cities.
• "Single-option" home delivery checkouts will no longer be compliant; even small merchants and marketplace sellers targeting Belgian consumers will have to integrate at least one alternative method (lockers, pickup points, in-store collection). Parcel lockers and PUDO networks will become a default delivery option in dense urban and suburban areas. They will play a central role in returns, repairs, and even adjacent services (e.g., pharmacy pickups or tool rentals, which bpost is already testing).
• Retailers and carriers will need to redesign their shipping, pricing and sustainability reporting to highlight greener options and to demonstrate alignment with the "green delivery" law; this will likely become a competitive hygiene factor rather than a differentiator.

Competitive Landscape

Current State of the Market

• Belgium's e-commerce sector is moderately concentrated and highly influenced by cross-border players. According to recent commentary, the dominant online merchants serving Belgian consumers include Zalando (Germany), Amazon (United States), and bol.com and Coolblue (both in the Netherlands). Local Belgian e-retailers exist (for example, Vanden Borre and Schoenen Torfs), but they do not dominate the top tier. The competitive intensity is elevated by the fact that more than half of Belgian online shoppers buy from foreign webshops, thereby subjecting local players to international benchmarks for speed, pricing, and service.

Key Players and New Entrants

• Established actors: bol.com, Amazon. Coolblue, Zalando, and Be are among the most visible retailers to Belgian consumers. Local specialist players: Vanden Borre (electronics), ZEB (fashion), and Bel&Bo (apparel) continue to hold niche or regional brand equity.
• New entrants/growth challengers: Start-ups and scale-ups in Belgium are emerging (e.g., a wider pool of 33+ e-commerce companies listed in a database). These younger players often adopt agile models (marketplace aggregation, direct-to-consumer, niche verticals). Cross-border marketplace extension: International players continue to invest locally, raising the competitive bar for logistics, delivery speed and UX for Belgian consumers.

Recent Launches, Mergers, and Acquisitions

• A Belgian market transaction: Zimmo Group, a Belgian prop-tech marketplace, recently acquired the scale-up Smooved to consolidate its local footprint. M&A market context: In Belgium overall, M&A deal flow has slowed, with deal counts and average values dropping in 2023 and into 2024, reflecting broader macro headwinds (interest rates, uncertainty).
• Strategic investments: In 2025, Amazon reportedly plans to invest approximately €1 billion in Belgium through to 2027 to expand its local infrastructure and deliver same-day services. While not exclusively e-commerce retail, the combination of logistics/fulfilment investments (parcel locker networks, delivery partnerships) reflects the broader competitive infrastructure arms race.

Report Scope

Belgium B2C Ecommerce Market Size and Growth Dynamics

• Gross Merchandise Value
• Gross Merchandise Volume
• Average Value per Transaction

Belgium Social Commerce Market Size and Growth Dynamics

• Gross Merchandise Value
• Gross Merchandise Volume
• Average Value per Transaction

Belgium Quick Commerce Market Size and Growth Dynamics

• Gross Merchandise Value
• Gross Merchandise Volume
• Average Value per Transaction

Belgium B2C Ecommerce Market Segmentation by Ecommerce Vertical

• Retail Shopping
• Travel & Hospitality
• Online Food Service
• Media & Entertainment
• Healthcare & Wellness
• Technology Products & Services
• Other

Belgium B2C Ecommerce Market Segmentation by Retail Shopping Category

• Clothing, Footwear & Accessories
• Health, Beauty & Personal Care
• Food & Beverage
• Appliances & Electronics
• Home Improvement
• Books, Music & Video
• Toys & Hobby
• Auto Parts & Accessories
• Other

Belgium B2C Ecommerce Market Segmentation by Retail Shopping Sales Channel

• Platform-to-Consumer
• Direct-to-Consumer
• Consumer-to-Consumer

Belgium B2C Ecommerce Market Segmentation by Travel & Hospitality Category

• Air Travel
• Train & Bus
• Taxi & Ride-Hailing
• Hotels & Resorts
• Other

Belgium B2C Ecommerce Market Segmentation by Travel and Hospitality Sales Channel

• Air Travel- Aggregator App
• Air Travel- Direct-to-Consumer
• Train & Bus- Aggregator App
• Train & Bus- Direct-to-Consumer
• Taxi & Ride-Hailing- Aggregator App
• Taxi & Ride-Hailing- Direct-to-Consumer
• Hotels & Resorts- Aggregator App
• Hotels & Resorts- Direct-to-Consumer
• Other- Aggregator App
• Other- Direct-to-Consumer

Belgium B2C Ecommerce Market Segmentation by Online Food Service Sales Channel

• Aggregator App
• Direct-to-Consumer

Belgium B2C Ecommerce Market Segmentation by Media & Entertainment Sales Channel

• Streaming Services
• Movies & Events
• Theme Parks & Gaming
• Other

Belgium B2C Ecommerce Market Segmentation by Engagement Model

• Website-Based
• Live Streaming

Belgium B2C Ecommerce Market Segmentation by Location

• Cross-Border
• Domestic

Belgium B2C Ecommerce Market Segmentation by Device

• Mobile
• Desktop

Belgium B2C Ecommerce Market Segmentation by Operating System

• iOS / macOS
• Android
• Other Operating Systems

Belgium B2C Ecommerce Market Segmentation by City Tier

• Tier 1
• Tier 2
• Tier 3

Belgium B2C Ecommerce Market Segmentation by Payment Instrument

• Credit Card
• Debit Card
• Bank Transfer
• Prepaid Card
• Digital & Mobile Wallet
• Other Digital Payment
• Cash

Belgium B2C Ecommerce Consumer Demographics & Behaviour

• Market Share by Age Group
• Market Share by Income Level
• Market Share by Gender

Belgium B2C Ecommerce User Statistics & Ratios

• Internet Users
• Ecommerce Users
• Social Media Users
• Smartphone Penetration
• Banked Population
• Ecommerce Per Capita
• GDP Per Capita
• Ecommerce as % of GDP
• Cart Abandonment Rate
• Product Retun Rate

Belgium B2C Ecommerce Operational Metrics by Ecommerce Segment

• Gross Merchandise Value by Segment

Belgium B2C Ecommerce Operational Metrics by Retail Shopping Category

• Gross Merchandise Value by Category

Belgium B2C Ecommerce Operational Metrics by Sales Channel

• Gross Merchandise Value by Channel

Belgium B2C Ecommerce Operational Metrics by Location

• Gross Merchandise Value by Location

Belgium B2C Ecommerce Operational Metrics by Device

• Gross Merchandise Value by Device

Belgium B2C Ecommerce Operational Metrics by Operating System

• Gross Merchandise Value by Operating System

Belgium B2C Ecommerce Operational Metrics by City Tier

• Gross Merchandise Value by City Tier

Belgium B2C Ecommerce Operational Metrics by Payment Instrument

• Gross Merchandise Value by Payment Instrument

Reasons to Buy

• Comprehensive Market Intelligence: Develop a complete understanding of the B2C ecommerce landscape in Belgium with fundamental ecommerce metrics such as gross merchandise value, gross merchandise volume, and average value per transaction across all major ecommerce segments.
• Granular Segmentation and Cross-Analysis: Analyse the online retail ecosystem through detailed segmentation covering ecommerce segments, retail product categories, travel and hospitality verticals, media and entertainment services, sales channels, devices, operating systems, cities, and payment instruments, enabling deep insight into evolving consumer shopping patterns.
• Operational and Performance Benchmarking: Benchmark marketplaces, direct-to-consumer platforms, aggregators, and category-focused players using KPIs such as GMV share, category-level performance, channel efficiency, device contribution, and payment mode penetration, supporting comparative assessment of platform strengths and competitive positioning.
• Consumer Behavior and Ecosystem Readiness: Understand how demographics, income groups, gender mix, device usage, and payment preferences shape online purchasing decisions, influencing category demand, cart abandonment behavior, product return tendencies, and the shift toward digital-first commerce.
• Data-Driven Forecasts and KPI Tracking: Access a structured dataset of 80+ ecommerce KPIs with historical and forecast values up to 2029, providing clarity on growth drivers, category expansion, sales-channel transitions, and payment-instrument evolution across the B2C ecommerce value chain.
• Decision-Ready Databook Format: Delivered in a standardized, analytics-friendly databook format aligned with financial modeling requirements, enabling ecommerce companies, consumer brands, payment providers, technology firms, and investors to conduct evidence-based market assessment and strategic planning.