Belgian e-commerce market
Belgium has three official languages Dutch; (59.6% of the population), French (40% of the population) and German (0.4% of the population). Most of the websites selling in Belgium are Dutch and French. It is important to note, especially for those from the UK and the US, that the Dutch spoken in the Netherlands is different to that spoken in Belgium.
74% of the Belgian population buys online and is used to buying on foreign websites.
The biggest e-commerce websites in Belgium are:
- Bol.com (Dutch)
- Coolblue.be (Dutch)
- Amazon.fr
Dutch speaking people are also used to buying on www.amazon.nl and www.amazon.de. French speaking people buy from www.amazon.fr.
Other important points:
- If you want to earn the trust of Belgian customers, ensure your website has a “.be” address.
- Dutch and French speakers are sensitive to spelling and grammar faults.
- Bancontact represents more than 90% of online payments.
- 24 hour delivery is standard and often free.