Dutch consumers spent €817m in foreign webshops last year, a rise of 28% on 2016, according to new figures from the Thuiswinkel Market Monitor. Nevertheless, foreign webshops only account for 4% of total online spending, the organisation said.

Chinese webshops accounted for 30% of total spending and are particularly popular for electronic goods, toys and telecom products. German online retailers were next on the list of popular foreign web shops but both France and Spain are growing in popularity.

‘China remains the most popular destination for cross-border shoppers, due to the low prices and delivery costs,’ says Thuiswinkel director Wijnand Jongen.

Nevertheless, the advantages enjoyed by Chinese web shops will soon be phased out, Jongen said. Delivery costs have become more expensive since the beginning of this year, and from 2021, value-added tax will be payable on orders with a value of below €22.

‘We have been campaigning for both these changes to ensure a level playing field for Dutch webshops,’ Jongen said.

In total, almost three in 10 people in the Netherlands bought a product or service via a foreign webshop last year.