{"id":55701,"date":"2026-06-06T17:35:15","date_gmt":"2026-06-06T21:35:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/overcentral.com\/en\/?p=55701"},"modified":"2026-06-06T17:35:15","modified_gmt":"2026-06-06T21:35:15","slug":"belgian-ecommerce-record-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/overcentral.com\/en\/belgian-ecommerce-record-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Belgian Ecommerce Hits 18.3 Billion Euros"},"content":{"rendered":"

Belgian consumers spent a record 18.3 billion euros online in 2025, marking a 5.4 percent increase from the previous year and underscoring the continued expansion of digital commerce in the country. The latest Market Monitor report from Becom<\/a>, the Belgian ecommerce federation, reveals that more than 9 out of 10 Belgians now shop online. However, a significant and growing share of that spending is flowing to foreign platforms, raising concerns about the competitiveness of domestic retailers and the enforcement of European regulations.<\/p>\n

Belgian Ecommerce Growth Slows as Cross-Border Spending Surges<\/h2>\n

The 18.3 billion euros spent online in 2025 represents a notable deceleration from the 6.7 percent growth recorded in 2024, when Belgians spent 17.4 billion euros. That earlier figure was itself a milestone, marking the first time that a quarter of all consumer spending in the country occurred online. While the overall trajectory remains upward, the composition of that spending has shifted dramatically. The Becom report indicates that the Belgian ecommerce sector itself grew by only 3.43 percent, a stark contrast to the 5.4 percent overall increase. This discrepancy points directly to a single cause: the majority of new online spending is being captured by cross-border merchants, particularly those based in Asia.<\/p>\n

Clothing, Electronics, and FMCG Dominate Online Categories<\/h2>\n

Clothing and shoes remain the dominant category for Belgian online shoppers, generating 2.7 billion euros in<\/a> revenue. Electronics followed with 1.7 billion euros, while fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), including food and beauty products, accounted for 1.26 billion euros. These three categories alone represent nearly a third of all online spending in the country, highlighting the areas where domestic retailers face the most intense competition from international platforms.<\/p>\n

Why Belgian Consumers Are Flocking to Marketplaces<\/h2>\n

The report identifies a clear behavioral driver behind the shift to foreign platforms. \u201cConsumers are quickly finding their way to online marketplaces because they offer a vast selection of products. These platforms make the purchasing process accessible and intuitive,\u201d explained Greet Dekocker, managing director of Becom. The convenience of a single destination for a wide range of goods, combined with streamlined checkout processes and personalized recommendations, has made marketplaces the default shopping environment for a growing number of consumers.<\/p>\n

This trend is reinforced by two emerging forces: artificial intelligence and social media. Nearly 3 out of 10 Belgian consumers (29 percent) reported that AI tools sometimes assist them during the purchasing process, an increase of 8 percentage points from 2024. Meanwhile, 36 percent of consumers said their purchasing behavior is influenced by social media. These figures suggest that platforms investing in AI-driven recommendations and social commerce features are gaining a structural advantage in capturing consumer attention and spend.<\/p>\n

The Rise of Chinese Platforms and the Challenge to European Regulations<\/h2>\n

The most striking finding in the Becom report concerns the destination of Belgian online spending. While domestic ecommerce grew modestly, platforms like Shein and Temu are expanding their share of Belgian wallets at an extraordinary pace. \u201cIt is no secret that Chinese players like Shein and Temu are growing by 20 to 30 percent annually, despite their questionable reputation,\u201d Dekocker stated. The primary draw is price: these platforms offer products at levels that domestic retailers, bound by European production and safety standards, cannot match.<\/p>\n

However, the low prices come with significant trade-offs. Dekocker warned that \u201cthe quality is often subpar, and the products can sometimes even be downright hazardous to health.\u201d This concern is not merely theoretical. The European Commission recently fined Temu 200 million<\/a> euros for failing to actively curb the sale of illegal products on its platform. The fine underscores a growing regulatory tension: European consumers are voting with their wallets for low-cost goods, but those goods frequently bypass the safety and compliance standards that apply to domestic sellers.<\/p>\n

What Is the Impact of Cross-Border Ecommerce on Belgian Retailers?<\/h2>\n

The impact on Belgian retailers is direct and measurable. With domestic ecommerce growth lagging far behind overall online spending, local businesses are losing market share to foreign competitors that operate under different cost structures and regulatory oversight. Becom characterizes this as unfair competition, arguing that platforms like Temu and Shein sell products that do not comply with European regulations, giving them an artificial price advantage. The result is a market dynamic where compliant domestic retailers are penalized for following the rules, while non-compliant foreign platforms are rewarded with rapid growth.<\/p>\n

Proposed Measures: Parcel Levies and Stronger Enforcement<\/h2>\n

The Belgian government has already taken a preliminary step to address the imbalance by proposing a 2-euro levy on parcels imported from outside the European Union. The measure is designed to offset the cost advantage of low-value shipments that currently enter the EU duty-free. However, Becom argues that this is insufficient. The federation is calling for stronger government action, including stricter customs inspections and a requirement for platforms to immediately remove unsafe products. \u201cThis is the only way we can prevent consumers from being misled,\u201d Dekocker said.<\/p>\n

The call for more aggressive enforcement reflects a broader debate within the European Union about how to regulate the influx of goods from non-EU platforms. The Temu fine demonstrates that the European Commission is willing to act, but enforcement at the border remains uneven. Stricter customs inspections would require additional resources and coordination among member states, while mandatory product removal would place a greater burden on platforms to police their own listings.<\/p>\n

How Does AI Influence Belgian Online Shopping Behavior?<\/h2>\n

The Becom report provides a clear answer: AI is becoming a routine part of the shopping experience for a significant minority of Belgian consumers. The 29 percent who use AI during purchases represents a sharp increase from the previous year, suggesting that the technology is moving from novelty to utility. AI tools are being used for product recommendations, price comparisons, and personalized search results<\/a>, all of which can steer consumers toward specific platforms or products. For retailers, this means that investment in AI-driven customer experience is no longer optional but a competitive necessity.<\/p>\n

The Role of Social Media in Shaping Consumer Choices<\/h2>\n

Social media\u2019s influence on purchasing behavior, reported by 36 percent of consumers, further complicates the competitive landscape. Platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook are not just advertising channels; they are increasingly functioning as storefronts, with integrated checkout and targeted promotions. The combination of social media influence and AI-driven personalization creates a powerful funnel that directs consumers toward platforms that have mastered these tools, often at the expense of traditional ecommerce sites.<\/p>\n

What Does the Future Hold for Belgian Ecommerce?<\/h2>\n

The trajectory of Belgian ecommerce will depend on how effectively policymakers and domestic retailers respond to the structural shift toward cross-border platforms. The 18.3 billion euro figure is a testament to the vitality of online commerce in Belgium, but it also signals a growing dependency on foreign infrastructure. If the government moves forward with stricter customs inspections, mandatory product safety requirements, and the proposed parcel levy, it could level the playing field for domestic retailers. However, enforcement will be critical. Without meaningful action at the border and on the platforms themselves, the trend of spending flowing to non-compliant foreign sellers is likely to accelerate.<\/p>\n

For Belgian retailers, the path forward involves not only advocating for regulatory fairness but also investing in the same tools that make foreign platforms attractive: AI-driven personalization, seamless user experiences, and social commerce integration. The market is not shrinking; it is shifting. The question is whether domestic players can adapt quickly enough to capture their share of the 18.3 billion euros and the growth that lies beyond it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Belgian consumers spent a record 18.3 billion euros online in 2025, marking a 5.4 percent increase from the previous year and underscoring the continued expansion of digital commerce in the country. The latest Market Monitor report from Becom, the Belgian ecommerce federation, reveals that more than 9 out of 10 Belgians now shop online. However, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":84721,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cards.overcentral.com\/cards\/en\/55701.png","fifu_image_alt":"Belgian Ecommerce Hits 18.3 Billion Euros","footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-55701","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-technology"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cards.overcentral.com\/cards\/en\/55701.png","fifu_image_alt":"Belgian Ecommerce Hits 18.3 Billion Euros","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/overcentral.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55701","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/overcentral.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/overcentral.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/overcentral.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/overcentral.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=55701"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/overcentral.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55701\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/overcentral.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/84721"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/overcentral.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=55701"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/overcentral.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=55701"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/overcentral.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=55701"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}