Of the 12,3 million internet users in the Netherlands, nearly 80 per cent of them, or 9,8 million people, have purchased a product online, according to Statistics Netherlands.

The number of online shoppers is growing steadily: seven years ago only 5,9 million people shopped online. The number of frequent online shoppers (people ordering at least one item or service in the previous three months) rose from 3,9 million in 2005 to 7,1 million in 2012.

Popular internet purchases

Travel tickets, holidays and accommodation accounted for the largest category of online purchases in 2012.

This was closely followed by clothes and sports items, purchased by over half of all frequent online shoppers, the majority of whom were women. Men were more likely to buy software, hardware and other electronics.

Books and magazines were also popular internet purchases, with about 40 per cent of people choosing to buy them online.

However, only approximately 10 per cent of people buy their groceries and other domestic products via the internet.

Nearly 70 per cent of frequent online shoppers bought only new goods via the internet in 2012. Just over a quarter bought both new and used products, while four per cent purchased only used items. Forty per cent of people spent between 100 and 500 euros on new items, while another 40 per cent spent less than 100 euros.

Although shoppers spend less on used products, one third spent at least 100 euros on this category, testimony to the popularity of vintage and other second-hand websites.