Last week an article appeared in De Tijd about the extreme growth of Belgian online stores in the first half of this year. It has long been clear that online shopping is gaining in popularity and that everyone is becoming familiar with it. This is something we also see in the increasing volumes of our own partners.
Bol.com takes the crown. They grew 50 to 60% in Belgium, according to Dick Boer, the CEO of Ahold Delhaize (the holding company behind Bol.com). But results from other Belgian online stores did not disappoint either.
Two weeks ago it was announced that Coolblue is growing by 31% in Belgium. CEO Pieter Zwart says they can certainly maintain that growth rate for several more years. Because, of course, more and more people are buying things online. And that behavior is irreversible.
At Schoenen Torfs, the webshop will soon turn over 10 million euros. In that area, it will be three times the size of the largest offline store. At Torfs, online sales grew some 60-70% in recent months.
Business is also good with our partners. Most submit consistent, double-digit growth rates. A few are even doubling every few months.
E-commerce is growing because there are more and more online stores. We also see more and more manufacturers or wholesalers setting up their own stores - to go directly to the end consumer.
More and more people are taking up the growing offer. And those who have good experiences online keep going back. The outlook for Belgian e-commerce looks bright. And that is something that will certainly continue in the coming years.
