Marketplace Strategy Europe: Spotlight on bol.com

We’ve talked before about the merits of being a big fish in a small pond. But how about being a big fish in a small pond… and that pond is actually an eCommerce website that outperforms Amazon? bol.com is the most popular marketplace in the Benelux region (that’s Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg, to save you having to Googling it – like we did!) and enjoys fantastic brand awareness amongst the combined population of just under 30 million people.

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We can think of at least eight great reasons to sell on bol.com – and that’s just off the top of our heads!

  1. As we already mentioned, bol.com actually sells more than Amazon in the Benelux countries!
  1. With Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg so close by, it’s easy to get products shipped to customers resident there (Don’t forget how easy it is to add another shipping provider to your Linnworks account if your current provider isn’t cost effective for overseas shipping!)
  1. The language barrier is no problem– because listing on bol.com is based on GTINs (barcodes), you don’t need to translate your listings – simply add the barcode and they’ll take care of the rest, in all three countries and languages! (So you can’t demonstrate your fantastic skills in Flemish on this occasion!)
  1. There’s no monthly fee – just commission – and since you only pay for what you sell, it’s low risk, and factored into your prices
  1. bol.com has most of the categories you’d list on Amazon, including books, music, electronics, toys & games, homeware, health & beauty, animal care, jewellery & watches
  1. It’s pretty easy to sign up, and we’re hearing less issues with seller accounts being disabled than on other platforms
  1. With our new integration, it’s quick and easy to integrate bol.com into Linnworks, whether from the Channel Integrations screen, or the Linnworks App Store
  1. Considering how many potential extra customers you can reach, who actually prefer shopping on bol.com to shopping on Amazon, do you need more reasons?

We could come up with more reasons, we’re just giving you some of the main ones – we know as a seller your time is precious – but if you need more reasons to expand your business by listing on bol.com or want to chat with us about the best options for your business, give us a call on 0208 090 4547.

When we say it’s easy to sign up, as long as you meet the criteria below, you’re ready to sell.

  • Your items must fit an existing category
  • Your items must have an EAN or an ISBN
  • You must be able to deliver within 1-8 working days
  • You must have been registered with the Chamber of Commerce or Belgian Trade register for at least 10 weeks
  • You must be VAT registered
  • You must offer a 30-day return policy
  • You must answer questions from customers within 24 hours
  • You must be able to meet the com service standards 

If you want to learn more about selling on bol.com, have questions about adding the integration to Linnworks, or want to talk about any other aspect of your eCommerce business, we’re happy to help! Get in touch, or if you’re planning to be at Linn Academy 2018 in September, be sure to pop by our stand – we’re happy to talk about bol.com, or any other aspect of your business!

As a Gold Sponsor of Linn Academy, we’re really looking forward to seeing our clients and friends in the industry there! (you should find us on the right as you come in – opposite the bar and near two of the food tables!) If you haven’t bought your ticket yet, enter the Promotional Code ‘LWPARTNER’ in the EventBrite ticket buying screen here to get your standard tickets at the special price of £49 instead of £99.

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