Bol and Kaufland: two European marketplaces to consider after Amazon

After Amazon, many brands look for a second channel in Europe but don’t know where to start. Bol and Kaufland are two of the most practical options: the first dominates the Netherlands and Belgium, the second started in Germany and has expanded into several countries. Here’s how they work, what they ask of foreign sellers and how to tell whether your catalogue is a good fit.

Why look beyond Amazon

Amazon remains the main channel for almost every brand we work with. But depending on a single platform carries risks: an algorithm change, a suspension, a fee increase. A second marketplace helps spread the risk and reach customers who buy little or nothing on Amazon.

Bol and Kaufland share two advantages: loyal customers in their markets and fewer sellers than Amazon in many categories. The operational work is similar, though, and it has to be done properly.

Bol: the marketplace of the Netherlands and Belgium

Bol is the leading online shop in the Netherlands and has a strong presence in Flanders, the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium. For many Dutch and Belgian consumers it’s the first place to look for a product. It sells both directly and through third-party sellers.

What a foreign seller needs

In recent years Bol has made it easier for sellers from other European Union countries to join: you no longer need a company in the Netherlands or Belgium, and you can ship from a warehouse in another EU country as long as you meet the required delivery times. Some basic requirements remain:

• every product must have an EAN;
• listings in Dutch (and in French if you also want to serve Wallonia well);
• stated delivery times that you actually meet;
• returns handled according to the platform’s rules;
• quick replies to customer questions and compliance with Bol’s service standards.

Conditions change, so read the current requirements in Bol’s official documentation before opening an account.

Logistics and advertising

Bol offers its own logistics service, where the platform stores and ships the goods. Dutch shoppers are used to very fast delivery, often next day, and delivery times affect how visible your offer is. For advertising there’s an in-platform system with sponsored products in search results, working along similar lines to Amazon. You’ll find more on our page about selling on Bol.

Kaufland: from Germany to half of Europe

Kaufland is the online marketplace of the group that runs the supermarkets of the same name. Its main market is Germany, where it’s one of the most used general marketplaces after Amazon. In recent years it has expanded to the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland and Austria, then France and Italy and, more recently, the Netherlands. The list of countries is growing fast: check it on the official website before you plan.

How it works for sellers

With a single account you can switch on several countries, choosing where to sell. The catalogue is based on shared product pages (as on Amazon, several sellers can offer the same item) and the EAN is the main reference. You need content in the language of each active country and proper customer service.

The typical Kaufland shopper in Germany is very price-conscious and value-driven, and often buys home, garden, DIY and fast-moving consumer goods. Kaufland also offers in-platform advertising tools to give products visibility in search results. We cover this on our page about selling on Kaufland.

Bol and Kaufland compared

How to tell whether your catalogue fits

Not every product that does well on Amazon works on Bol or Kaufland. Before investing, run these checks:

1. Demand: search for your categories on the platform. Are there similar products with reviews? How many sellers?
2. Price: do competitors’ prices leave you a margin, once fees, logistics and advertising are factored in?
3. Logistics: can you deliver within the times local shoppers expect? Bulky or fragile products make everything harder.
4. Content: do you already have listings in German or Dutch, or do they need creating from scratch?
5. Existing distribution: do you already have distributors or retailers in those countries? Selling direct could create price conflicts.

If the answer is positive on at least four points, it makes sense to run a test with a small selection of products.

Managing several marketplaces without losing control

Adding a channel means adding work: stock to sync, prices to keep consistent, orders and returns to handle across several dashboards. Without a minimum of organisation you risk selling products you no longer have in stock, with cancellations that penalise the account.

A few simple rules:

• use a multichannel management tool or a direct link between your management system and the marketplaces for stock and orders;
• set a clear pricing policy across Amazon, Bol, Kaufland and your own website, so you don’t end up competing with yourself;
• keep a single weekly report with sales, margin and ad spend by channel.

The mistakes we see most often

• Uploading the whole catalogue at once, without prioritising the best-suited products.
• Machine-translating listings without review.
• Ignoring delivery times: on Bol in particular they’re decisive.
• Not switching on in-platform advertising and waiting for organic sales alone.
• Underestimating customer service in the local language.
• Overlooking the tax side of storing stock in another country: discuss it with your adviser.

Where to start

Pick a single marketplace, based on where you already have demand or content in the language. If you have well-made German listings, Kaufland in Germany is the most natural step. If your product has customers in the Netherlands and Belgium, Bol is the right choice. Start with 20 or 30 products, sort out logistics and customer service, switch on some advertising and measure for three months. Then decide whether to expand.

Frequently asked questions