Belgium, e-commerce and logistics
The e-commerce market in Belgium is maturing and due to its multilingual consumer base,
international sellers have a good chance of securing regular e-commerce trade.
Why Belgium?
Belgians don't shy away from shopping with international sellers, on the contrary, the multilingual population is happy to shop just about anywhere. This does pose a challenge for Belgian online stores to compete on the market as they are more exposed to foreign competition, however, it's good news for international retailers.
In other good news, most Belgians have access to the internet (around 95%) and in 2022, approximately 80% of those internet users made online purchases. According to data from SafeShops, Belgium's e-commerce association, the way Belgian consumers pay for products and services online is evolving.1
Among European Union (EU) countries, Belgium accounts for €5.5 billion in international sales. According to Cross-Border Commerce Europe, that's a market share of 35.5%. E-commerce sales revenues in Belgium have also recorded unprecedented results, surpassing the 9-billion-dollar mark in 2023.2
- 7.8 million
- Number of online shoppers
- 8.54 billion USD
- E-commerce revenue
- 5.8%
- E-commerce share of retail sales
[Stats taken from: www.statista.com/topics/4910/e-commerce-in-belgium#topicOverview]
The e-commerce landscape
Belgian e-commerce is growing, with over 50,000 online stores now carrying out businesses in the country. In the second quarter of 2022, 6.9 million Belgians made 4 0.5 million online purchases, spending 3.5 billion euros, up 29% from the same period in 2021.
The recent uptick is attributed mainly to the recovering services sector, with an increase of 75% compared to the same period last year, according to BeCommerce. Some of the top categories of online services spending include airline tickets and accommodation, tickets for attractions and events, package holidays, and sports and recreation. Around half of Belgian online stores are linked to the retail sector, while hospitality has risen from fourth to second place.
The Flanders region has by far the most online stores and is responsible for 72% of online stores in Belgium. Suffice to say, the number of Belgians purchasing goods from online retailers has never been higher.3
Opportunities
In Belgium, approximately 73% of online sales are still paid for with debit cards and 20% with credit cards. But the market is seeing an uptake in new payment methods such as Google Pay and buy-now-pay-later services. When a Belgian consumer needs to pay a significant amount of money online, the laptop and desktop are still, by far, the most popular devices.
The most poplar search engine in Belgium is Google. 58% of online transactions in Belgium are mobile. Facebook is the leading social shopping platform for most generational groups, particularly among older consumers. In contrast, TikTok was most popular among the youngest buyers, like Generation Z.
Another innovative trend shaping the online shopping experience is live commerce, whereby products are advertised to shoppers via livestream, with interactive visual content promoting more customer engagement with the product. For roughly a third of Belgian e-shoppers surveyed in late 2022, inspiration and ideas were the main benefits of participating in a live shopping experience.4
E-commerce consumers per sector in Belgium
Percentage of e-commerce consumers who have made purchases from each respective product category
Logistics
All international deliveries from the UK require customs documentation. This will require a commercial invoice. A courier service or shipping expert will provide these forms and help you complete them accurately. These must be completed in detail to avert delays in delivery or even your parcel being rejected at the border.
You can familiarise yourself with weights and prices of sending a package to Belgium using our helpful shipping rates chart .
Keep in mind:
Import VAT is imposed on goods purchased from outside the EU and imported into the EU. In Belgium, the standard import VAT rate is 21%. Companies may be able to recover the import VAT paid, depending on the product’s destination and VAT status.
What our experts say:
“Belgium still has huge untapped e-commerce potential.”
Simon Perkins, Commercial Director, SAMOS.