Dutch shoppers spend less per order for the first time since Covid-19 pandemic

Dutch consumers spent less per online purchase in the first six months of this year. The average order value fell for the first time since the Covid-19 period, dropping to 100 euros. That is three percent lower than a year earlier, according to news figures presented Tuesday by Thuiswinkel.org, the industry association for online retailers.

The number of internet purchases rose by three percent in the first half of 2026 compared with a year earlier, to more than 170 million transactions. Total online spending remained virtually unchanged at 17.1 billion euros.

The majority of purchases are still made at Dutch webshops, according to the organization. The share of foreign online purchases is rising, however. One in seven online purchases is now made outside the Netherlands. China is the fastest-growing market, driven by popular Chinese platforms such as AliExpress and Temu.

Dutch consumers made nearly half of their online purchases on mobile phones, making smartphones more important for online shopping than laptops or desktops. Consumers still tend to make larger purchases on a computer, according to Thuiswinkel.org. The average purchase value via smartphone is 80 euros; via laptop or desktop, it is 126 euros. Eleven percent of all purchases are made online. That share has remained stable for years.