Amsterdam, August 28, 2024 — Dutch e-commerce giant Bol.com has announced a significant change to its shipping policy, raising the threshold for free delivery from €20 to €25.
This shift, the company says, is a response to rising logistics costs that have outpaced the inflation-adjusted value of the previous threshold.
Joost Morel, a spokesperson for Bol.com, explained the decision during an interview on Flemish radio. “We have used the €20 threshold since 2012.
During that period, the amount has never been adjusted for inflation, while our logistics costs have increased significantly. To address this, we decided to raise the threshold to €25,” Morel said.
Bol.com, a leading online retailer in Belgium and the Netherlands, has been known for its free shipping policy. The change marks a notable shift in the company’s long-standing practice.
The company hopes that by encouraging customers to consolidate their purchases into fewer orders, it can reduce the number of individual transport movements from its distribution center to customers’ homes.
Professor Els Bruegelmans from KU Leuven’s marketing department commented on the timing of the change.
“The decision to increase the free shipping threshold is aligned with a broader trend of rising costs that consumers are becoming more accustomed to. With everything from energy bills to food prices increasing, people are now more accepting of such adjustments.”
Bruegelmans added that major players like Bol.com, along with other large e-commerce platforms such as Amazon and Zalando, have set a precedent for free shipping that smaller competitors struggle to match without facing a loss of customers.
“The concept of free shipping has become the norm due to these large companies, and now we see that even they are struggling with the associated costs,” Bruegelmans noted.
The increased threshold is part of Bol.com’s broader strategy to manage rising operational costs while maintaining its competitive edge.
According to Bruegelmans, such adjustments are often effective in encouraging customers to spend more to qualify for free shipping. “Raising the threshold encourages customers to add more items to their cart, thus covering the shipping cost within their purchase.”
Bol.com has also introduced an exception to its new shipping policy. Dutch-language books will continue to be shipped for free, reflecting the company’s historical roots as a book retailer.
“Since our inception in 1999, books have been at the core of our business,” Morel explained. “We are committed to supporting literacy and promoting reading, which is why we are making an exception for Dutch-language books.”
In addition, Bol.com has been active in its Bollebozen initiative, aimed at promoting equal opportunities for children in Flanders and the Netherlands through book donations and reading events.
“This new shipping policy reinforces our commitment to encouraging children’s reading pleasure by continuing to offer free shipping on Dutch-language books,” Morel added.
As Bol.com implements this policy change, customers will need to adjust their shopping habits to qualify for free shipping, while the company navigates the challenges of maintaining its service standards amidst rising operational costs.
