Overview
Bol is the largest online store and marketplace in the Netherlands and Belgium. At bol.com, 14 million active customers shop a range of about 63 million items, most of them sold by more than 43,000 sales partners. For a brand that wants to sell in the Benelux, bol is usually the first marketplace to consider.
Who is behind bol
Bol started in 1999 as an online bookstore and is now part of Ahold Delhaize, the Dutch-Belgian food retail group behind Albert Heijn, which acquired it in 2012. As of 31.03.2026, bol had 14 million active customers in the Netherlands and Belgium, a range of 63 million items and 43,300 sales partners selling through the platform. In 2025 bol launched bol.checkout, which lets shoppers order and pay at participating webshops with their bol account.
What the shopper sees
Bol covers almost every category, from books, toys and electronics to home, garden, beauty, baby and sports. Shoppers buy from bol itself and from sales partners in the same store, with one checkout and one customer account. Bol has pick-up points at Albert Heijn stores, and its brand promise centres on reliable, easy shopping from inspiration to service.
How selling on bol works
Bol is an open marketplace for professional sellers, who apply through the bol partner programme. A brand considering bol should know the following:
- Two countries, one account. The same seller account sells to shoppers in the Netherlands and Belgium.
- Dutch content. Listings need Dutch product content, and French matters for reaching shoppers in Wallonia.
- EAN codes and catalogue data. Products are matched to bol's catalogue by EAN, so clean product data is the starting point.
- Fees per sale. Bol charges selling costs per item sold, which vary by category.
- Fulfilment by bol. With Logistics via bol (LVB), the brand sends stock to bol's warehouse and bol stores, ships and handles returns. Sellers who ship themselves can use Shipping via bol for delivery at bol's rates.
- Delivery promise. Bol shows shoppers a delivery promise, and sellers are measured on meeting it.
- Advertising. Sponsored Products let sellers promote their listings in bol's search results and on product pages.
- Non-EU sellers. Bol opened its marketplace to sellers from outside the EU in 2025, so competition in some categories is rising.
Already selling elsewhere? How bol fits in
For a brand on Amazon, bol is the way to reach Dutch and Flemish shoppers who start their online shopping on bol rather than Amazon. The work is mostly in Dutch-language content, delivery that meets bol's promise, and pricing that holds up next to other sellers of the same EAN.
How eBrands looks at bol
eBrands sells on bol and works with brands on marketplaces across Europe and North America. If you are thinking about the Benelux and want to see how bol could sit alongside the channels you already use, we are happy to talk it through.
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