Retail and e-commerce – April 2025
Developments in retail
The latest figures from the Market Monitor by Thuiswinkel.org (in Dutch) show that Dutch consumers spent €36 billion online in 2024, a growth of 5% compared to 2023. The number of online purchases fell by 1% to 345 million. 12% of online spending and purchases go to foreign webshops, accounting for €4.4 billion (+12%) and €41 million (+4%).
The E-commerce Monitor (in Dutch, 21.8 MB) by Sendcloud (in Dutch) and partners, shows that Dutch e-commerce is developing rapidly. Companies are investing heavily in customer acquisition, faster delivery, automation and strategic use of data and technology to remain competitive.
In the 2025 Future of Customer Data report Tealium explores how real-time customer data is reshaping industries. As Artificial Intelligence (AI) adoption increases and customers demand personalisation and privacy, more organisations are moving toward real-time customer data management to hit business objectives and outperform competitors. You can download the report after filling in your details.
According to a Mintel article, direct-to-consumer shopping, where brands by-pass retailers and sell direct to customers, is becoming increasingly popular. Social media platforms are an increasingly important way for brands and retailers to reach consumers and build awareness.
E-commerce packaging developments
In 2024, the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, in collaboration with Thuiswinkel.org (in Dutch), conducted research on circularity at online shops. The researchers examined the extent to which webshops are already embracing circularity and sustainability, and where there are still opportunities to further accelerate this transition. With the introduction of stricter European sustainability regulations and growing consumer demand for sustainable products, it is becoming increasingly important for online shops to adapt their business models. You can download the report after filling in your details (in Dutch).
The Alliance for Action on Packaging Waste Reduction for the E-commerce Sector, co-led by the Singapore Manufacturing Federation (SMF) and Singapore Post, has released new Guidelines on Sustainable E-commerce Packaging, created through the Packaging Partnership Programme. You can download the guidelines after filling in your details.
Retail packaging concepts
A study (695 kB) by Linköping University entitled; ‘Unpacking Behaviours: A Literature Study and Research Agenda on Consumer Behaviour in Packaging-Free Systems’, has been published in Packaging Technology and Science. This review evaluates the effectiveness of packaging-free systems, exploring the factors that drive consumer adoption, the obstacles to transitioning and the relevance of theoretical frameworks like the theory of planned behaviour and the practice theory in understanding and assessing the sustainability of these alternatives.
A study (5.08 MB) by the University of Bologna entitled ‘Reusable food primary packaging in retail supply chain: A multi-objective optimization framework’, has been published in Sustainable Production and Consumption. This study presents a multi-stage and multi-objective optimisation framework designed to select optimal product-package combinations and establish a circular network that encourages the adoption of reusable food packaging in retail.
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