Key insights → What are the dynamics that we see in the consumer market

Table of contents

• Introduction
• Main findings from our research
• Important market dynamics
• 01 Apparel dominance: the rise of menswear
• 02 E-Bikes: back to basics
• 03 Sustainability: the new normal
• Category overview across the Top 100:
• Fastest Growing Dutch Consumer Brands
• New Market Entrants (Launched in 2023)
• Established Brands
• Looking ahead: who will win the e-com game in 2025?
• 01 Trust over hype
• 02 Beyond Digital Basics
• 03 The real AI challenge is boring (but critical)
• Join our newsletter: Stay ahead in digital commerce

Introduction

The Netherlands is e-commerce at its finest. 84% of Dutch internet users shop online - the highest rate worldwide (UNCTAD). Due to great logistics infrastructure, tons of digital talent and years of e-commerce experience make it both a thriving market and a perfect launchpad for new brands. But what brands are the winners and were growing the fastest?

Our analysis of 300+ brands in 2024 reveals a fascinating split between international powerhouses and strong domestic players.

Main findings from our research

• The big players are truly global. Tommy Hilfiger, G-Star RAW, and Suitsupply, and Ekster generate 98% of their traffic from international markets.
• The average Dutch consumer brand draws 46% of traffic from Dutch consumers
• Strong momentum: Half of analyzed brands achieved double-digit traffic growth in 2024
• Rising digital sophistication: Digital experience scores increased 13% to 3.8/5, showing maturity in customer experience
• Fashion dominates: Apparel, shoes & accessories represent 47% of top brands
• Sustainability mainstreams: Nearly one-fourth of brands are B-corp certified, marking sustainability's evolution from differentiator to standard

So, what makes Dutch e-commerce leaders stand out from the rest? Let's take a closer look.

Important market dynamics

01 Apparel dominance: the rise of menswear

Apparel rules Dutch e-commerce with 47 brands in our top 100. While Tommy Hilfiger and G-Star RAW show steady growth, Suitsupply is having a stellar year with 37% more traffic.

The Netherlands has become a key market for menswear. We're seeing over 10 premium menswear brands span out out across price points - think of it as a red ocean that Suitsupply helped create.

The winners are brands that go all-in on modern shopping experiences. Look at MR MARVIS (52% traffic growth, 2.27% conversion) and ETQ Amsterdam (90% growth). Meanwhile, brands sticking to old-school approaches are falling behind.

02 E-Bikes: back to basics

2024 brought a plot twist in the e-bike world. After VanMoof's bankruptcy in August 2023, and Stella’s in November 2024, shoppers might be skeptical of tech-first bike brands. The numbers tell the story: VanMoof's traffic dropped 61%, QWIC's fell 79%. Meanwhile, traditional bike maker Cortina sees a whopping 800% traffic boost.

03 Sustainability: the new normal

Gone are the days when sustainability was special - now it's expected. A solid 23% of top 100 brands are B-Corps, and the numbers keep growing. New sustainable brands are crushing it: Mother's Earth (launched in late 2022, now has monthly traffic over 100K), Ecostyle (154% growth), and Naïf (132% growth) lead the charge. With so many market leaders getting B-Corp certified, the Netherlands is where Europe tests its green commerce future.

Explore our deep dives per category of the consumer market Our deep dives reveal what drives success in premium menswear, bikes & e-bikes, sustainability, modern furniture, and next-gen baby brands.

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Explore

Category overview across the Top 100:

Fastest Growing Dutch Consumer Brands

New Market Entrants (Launched in 2023)

The success of these brands points to two emerging trends:

• First, sustainability is becoming a powerful growth driver, particularly in everyday categories like home goods and personal care.
• Second, specialized product offerings - like Babboe's cargo bikes and Low Pressure Studio's sports equipment - can achieve rapid growth by focusing on specific consumer needs rather than trying to serve broader markets.

Established Brands

All these brands have achieved substantial scale (42K-180K monthly visitors) while maintaining high growth rates - a rare combination that suggests their business models have found strong product-market fit while still having room to expand.

Looking ahead: who will win the e-com game in 2025?

As we analyse the trends across Dutch consumer brands in 2024, three key factors emerge that will likely determine success in 2025:

01 Trust over hype

The post-pandemic digital gold rush is over. Consumers are gravitating towards stable, responsible brands with clear purposes - notice how traditional bike manufacturers are gaining ground after tech-forward players stumbled.

This shift isn't just about product quality, nor simply about sustainability; it's about consistent delivery on brand promises.

02 Beyond Digital Basics

Dutch brands score well on digital experience (3.8/5 average), but yesterday's innovations are today's basics. Video content integration, chatbots, subscriptions, product quizzes, referral programs - these are just table stakes now.

The real differentiators are emerging elsewhere:

• Building communities around genuine connections, not just loyalty schemes
• Integrating lifestyle content naturally into commerce experience
• Creating seamless flows across online & offline

Smart brands understand that retail vs DTC isn't a strategic choice - they're just channels with different strengths. Take Suitsupply’s approach (5/5 DXP score) - their success comes from understanding that their customers need both digital efficiency and human reassurance.

03 The real AI challenge is boring (but critical)

While everyone talks about AI transformation, success in 2025 will depend on boring fundamentals.

Before implementing AI, brands need solid foundations:

• Clean, structured data collection
• Clear grasp of purchase patterns
• Understanding of customer decision points

Only with these basics in place can brands deliver truly meaningful:

• Hyper-personalization
• Dynamic pricing
• Predictive search that works

The winners in 2025 won't be the ones with the most innovative features or the coolest tech. They'll be the ones that built genuine trust, created memorable experiences across all channels, and did the hard work of building solid data infrastructure to scale intelligently.

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