According to a recently released study by market research agency Blauw Research, the Dutch homeshopping sector realised in 2008 a total sales in all channels of $ 8,03 billion ($ 490 per capita). This means an increase of 14.3% against 2007. Most of these sales were generated by the online segment: $ 7,13 billion ($ 430 per capita).
The increase of 14.3% of the homeshopping branche is remarkable given the downgoing economic climate in 2008. The increase of online expenditures was even 24% compared to 2007. The increase outpaced by far the increase of the retail sector growing with 3.9% in 2007, according to the Retail Agency HBD.

Homeshopping versus retail
Consumers spent in 2008 $ 8,03 billion for products and services by means of Internet, catalogues, mail, et cetera. The traditional retail sector in the same year realised a turnover of $ 124,58 billion according to the HBD. This means that the share of homeshopping in retail sales has increased from 5.09% in 2007 to 5.76% in 2008.  The share of the homeshopping sector in retail excluding services such as food, travel, insurance and tickets amounts to 3.5%.

16.5% increase non-food versus 1% increase non-food retail
Wijnand Jongen, director Thuiswinkel.org: the growth of non food within total homeshopping is particularly remarkable. If we leave out travel, food, tickets, financial and other services the non-food segment grew with 16.5% in 2008 compared to 2007. For online consumer spending this is even 35% more than in 2007. And that compared with the 1% increase (source: HBD) of non-food retail in 2008.

Online generates almost 89% of total homeshopping
Total online sales amounted $ 7,13 billion in 2008 compared to $ 5,33 billion in 2007. This means that the percentage of online sales in total homeshopping was a staggering 88.8%, an increase of 5.6% compared to the 83.3% in 2007. 

For 2009 Jongen forecasts again a drastic increase in spite of the economic crisis and a downgoing consumer confidence: “Consumers will use the web more and more for buying and will use the online channel more often.
We expect total spending to be around 6.5 billion euro, 6 billion of which will be generated by online”.

Hereunder the development of total homeshopping, including internet, mail, catalogues etc. and online over the years: 

Sales all channels (in $ billion)
2003: $ 2,84         2003: $ 1,40         49.4%
2004: $ 3,53         2004: $ 2,09         59.2%
2005: $ 4,06         2005: $ 2,75         67.8%
2006: $ 4,63         2006: $ 3,54         76.4%
2007: $ 6,41         2007: $ 5,33         83.1%
2008: $ 8,03         2008: $ 7,13         88.8%


Source Thuiswinkel.org- June 2008