Industry Insights
The Netherlands footwear market was valued at USD 2.22 billion in the year 2017 and is expected to grow over the forecast period, driven primarily by growth in consumption pattern and strong improvement in labour market. Furthermore, increasing presence of online retailers in the country is expected to provide growth opportunity for the market through online channels. Till date many offline retail store have closed owing to the increasing consumer preference to buy footwear through online channel. Among all product categories in Netherlands, in 2014, apparel and footwear segment together accounted for more than 7% to 9% in the overall product category.
Netherlands footwear market share, by type, 2017 (% Share)
Leather footwear segment dominates the industry in Netherlands followed by other materials such as sandals, textile, fabric and athletic. In terms of sales, leather segment dominates the market whereas, in terms of volume, textile tends to dominate the industry in the Netherlands. Furthermore, stylish athletic shoes for both men and women is expected to aid in the overall market growth over the foreseeable future.
Segmentation by Type
• Men
• Women
• Children
In terms of by type, Netherlands footwear segment is dominated by women. Females accounts for the majority population in Netherlands with around half the market share and are tending to live longer than men. Compared to female segment, men footwears tend to have limited design and style. Furthermore, women shoes come with wide variety of styles. For instance, shoes for men are often decorated with extra leather or brogues or wing-tips whereas, female footwear comes with variety of decorations such as gems, metals, fabrics, feather, etc.
Segmentation by Distribution Channel
• Online
• Offline
In terms of distribution channel, online segment accounted for a relatively low market share compared to offline channel in the year 2017. Increasing presence of online retailers as well as online buyers in the country is expected to increase the sales of footwear through online channels. Consumer awareness with regards to online shopping is developing hence, it is anticipated to see an increase in shift towards internet retailing. Furthermore, maximum e-commerce websites in Netherlands focus on fashion & living hence the demand for clothing and footwear is projected to upsurge over the foreseeable future.
Mobile e-commerce or m-commerce enables customers to buy the product online and pay for the product via online transfer from bank accounts. Of the total mobile e-commerce transactions, it is expected that 30% of the transaction take place on mobile and remaining on tablets. Increase in the number of people procuring goods online especially on mobile is expected to increase owing to growing awareness of social media which is expected to increase the demand in the market over the foreseeable future.
Competitive landscape
Concerned footwear manufacturers with good market presence are coming up with new strategies, new technology and product diversification. This new trend of introducing new technologies, more creative innovations, and better design is expected to display further positive effect on Netherlands market for long term. Increase in the number of consumers favoring online shopping is expected to boost the sales through online retailing. However, most of the websites in Netherlands focus on fashion & living hence the market competition is expected to get even more stiffer over the projected period, leading to product innovation and investment in R&D. The top companies in the Netherlands footwear market includes Zolando, Coolblue, Sarenza and H&M.
