Koen van Gelder
Team Lead E-commerce
Beauty and personal care e-commerce in the Netherlands - statistics & facts
Cosmetics, creams, and body care are increasing their online market share. Now that fashion and food have manifested themselves as established e-commerce categories in the Netherlands, beauty and personal care products are next to appear on digital shelves. The online sales revenue of this FMCG category in the Netherlands was estimated to amount to just over two billion U.S. dollars in 2024. Rapid growth is forecast until 2029, when the market value is expected to breach the three billion dollar mark.
Each online shopper of beauty and care products spends just over 470 U.S. dollars annually on their items of choice. More often than not, these items fall under the personal care umbrella, as opposed to cosmetics, skincare, fragrances, or beauty tech.
Domestic drugstores and cross-border competitors have entered the e-commerce arena to win the favor of the Dutch beauty and personal care digital shopper. Irrespective of who comes out on top, the beauty care e-commerce market is forecast to grow steadily in the next few years, meaning that there might just be enough to gain for all players involved.
Close-up of a flourishing market
The main sales channels for beauty care products in the Netherlands are still brick-and-mortar drugstores and supermarkets. However, with the overall increase in e-commerce activity in the country, cosmetics and personal care are increasingly being bought online. As of 2024, the penetration rate of e-commerce for these product categories lies at just over 27 percent. This means that over a quarter of Dutch consumers already engage in beauty care e-shopping. This figure represents a 10 percent increase compared to 2017 and is forecast to grow even more in the years to come.Each online shopper of beauty and care products spends just over 470 U.S. dollars annually on their items of choice. More often than not, these items fall under the personal care umbrella, as opposed to cosmetics, skincare, fragrances, or beauty tech.
Who profits from this sales boom?
Kruidvat and Etos are the Dutch market leaders when it comes to drugstore items. Both these chains have hundreds of physical stores across the country, where they sell everything from cosmetics to OTC pharmaceuticals and candy. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that they also lead the e-commerce market for these items. Whereas in physical retail, Kruidvat has taken the lead, the opposite is true for e-commerce sales. Etos generated over 200 million U.S. dollars in online sales in the Netherlands in 2023, versus just over 150 million for its arch-nemesis. Looking across Dutch borders, Chinese newcomers are also trying to make their beauty mark. Shein has proven especially successful in the Dutch market, with nearly seven percent of the company’s market share being made up of beauty and personal care products.Domestic drugstores and cross-border competitors have entered the e-commerce arena to win the favor of the Dutch beauty and personal care digital shopper. Irrespective of who comes out on top, the beauty care e-commerce market is forecast to grow steadily in the next few years, meaning that there might just be enough to gain for all players involved.
