Xin Ou
Research expert covering Greater China
Online fashion in Belgium - Statistics & Facts
E-commerce in Belgium is not yet as developed as in other European countries. This has two reasons. First, Belgium was ranked as one of the most likely countries in 2018 where consumers buy products and services from a foreign e-commerce retailer. Retailers from the Netherlands, China, Germany, the United Kingdom and France are the most popular sources for cross-border purchases. Second, Belgium used online shopping less often than other Western European countries in 2017. In the same year, B2C e-commerce made up roughly 17 percent of Belgium's total shopping expenditure. The use of online means for ordering clothes is growing, however. The share of the Belgian population that ordered clothing or sportswear online had increased from 47 percent in 2014 to 57 percent in 2017. In a 2018 survey, Belgian consumers listed fashion as the product category that was bought online the most in the past 12 months. Additionally, clothing and footwear were both listed as the most returned products after an online purchase in 2018.
