Webshops working overtime for Belgian customers

Online shopping is increasingly popular among users in Belgium, with both Coolblue and bol.com breaking records this holiday period, writes De Morgen.

Bol.com, which recently reached the milestone of one million Belgian customers, has seen an unprecedented spike in sales in the run-up to the Christmas holidays, the online retailer reported in a press release. It also sold more than 350,000 items on the last Sunday before Christmas, or about 11 orders per second. "More and more Belgians are discovering the convenience of online shopping and gaining confidence in the service we provide," said bol.com director Daniel Ropers.

Belgian webshop Coolblue also reported unprecedented growth this month, with 76% more sales than in the same period last year. Coolblue is under particularly high pressure this holiday season, as it guarantees next-day delivery for all packages ordered by midnight on the day before. "We are doing absolutely everything to fulfill this promise," said Jeroen Van Camp, delivery manager of Cool Blue.

The most popular gifts among bol.com users in Belgium are books and music, and in particular Adele's new album, 25, and K3's new album, 10,000 Luchtballonnen.