Dutch shoppers expect to buy more online in the next few years, in particular health, beauty and food products. For the first time, over half of consumers say they will buy more on their smartphone in 5 years.

That is what an annual research by Dutch industry advocate Thuiswinkel.org says. One thousand respondents in the Netherlands took part in it. The consumer questionnaire is a part of ShoppingTomorrow, a think tank about the future of ecommerce.

40% expenses online in 2027

Consumers expect to buy even more online in 5 years. The expected revenue share has increased from 37 percent in 2025 to over 40 percent in 2027. Shoppers therefore say the growth in ecommerce of the last few years will continue.

The most growth is expected for Health&Beauty and Food.

The most growth is expected for the categories Health&Beauty and Food/Nearfood. These segments already saw expenses increase during the pandemic. Over 20 percent of customers say they will spend more on food. For beauty products this number is even higher: 26 percent.

Smartphone gets upper hand

For the first time, over half of Dutch shoppers (53 percent) say they will do most purchases on their smartphone in 5 years. Last year, this was only 48 percent. Nearly 60 percent think orders will mostly take place on online marketplaces.

60% says the majority of orders will be on marketplaces.

Additionally, voice assistants have lost popularity. While last year 50 percent would buy more via smart assistants, this year that number has fallen to less than 40 percent.

Customer hesitant in sharing personal data

Data privacy is important to consumers: almost 80 percent think online businesses can abuse their personal data. On the other hand, 2 in 5 customers trusts that companies will handle this information correctly.

Moreover, 40 percent do not like personalized ads. For optimization of websites this number is lower: 27 percent.

Sustainability the norm in 5 years

For 1 in 5 Dutch customers, sustainability is decisive when making a purchase. Although the price is still more important for sustainable products compared to environmental aspects, such as the material. Still, 70 percent of respondents think sustainable and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) will be the norm in 5 years time.