Last year, Belgian consumers spent 18.3 billion euros online. Compared to a year earlier, this is an increase of 5.4 percent. More Belgians have started shopping online, as more than 9 out of 10 made online purchases. However, most of the online spending went to foreign platforms.
This is according to the latest Market Monitor from Becom, the Belgian ecommerce federation. The previous edition indicated that Belgians spent 17.4 billion euros on online purchases in 2024. Compared to 2023, this was an increase of 6.7 percent. It was also the first time that consumers in the country did a quarter of all their spending online.
Clothing and shoes most popular
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In 2025, Belgians spent 2.7 billion euros online on clothing and shoes. In terms of revenue, electronics came in second place with 1.7 billion euros. It is followed by fast-moving consumer goods, like food and beauty products (1.26 billion euros).
Platforms where Belgians shop
“Consumers are quickly finding their way to online marketplaces because they offer a vast selection of products. These platforms make the purchasing process accessible and intuitive”, explains Greet Dekocker, managing director of Becom.
‘Consumers are using marketplaces because they make purchasing accessible and intuitive’
Additionally, Belgians are increasingly using AI while shopping online. Almost 3 out of 10 consumers (29 percent) said that AI sometimes helps them when purchasing something. Compared to 2024, this is an increase of 8 percentage points. And 36 percent of Belgian consumers said that their purchasing behavior is influenced by social media.
Spending mostly went to cross-border stores
The report shows some striking data. While online spending has increased strongly, the Belgian ecommerce sector itself has only increased about 3.43 percent. This indicates that most only spending went to cross-border online stores.
“It is no secret that Chinese players like Shein and Temu are growing by 20 to 30 percent annually, despite their questionable reputation,” says Dekocker. Consumers are drawn to these Asian platforms because of their low prices. “But the quality is often subpar, and the products can sometimes even be downright hazardous to health.”
‘Government needs to do more’
According to Becom, Temu and Shein are unfair competition for Belgian online stores, as they often sell products that do not comply with European regulations. Last month, the European Commission fined Temu with 200 million euros because the platform is not actively trying to curb the sales of illegal products.
To curb the influx of parcels imported from outside the European Union, the Belgian government has already proposed to introduce a levy on parcels of 2 euros. But Becom now argues that the government should take stronger action, like stricter customs inspections, or requiring platforms to immediately remove unsafe products. “This is the only way we can prevent consumers from being misled.”
