Social commerce—selling goods directly via social platforms—is no longer just a buzzword; it’s fast becoming a core retail channel in the Netherlands. With shifts in consumer behavior, technology, and regulation, Dutch brands and retailers must adapt quickly to stay relevant.

In this article, you'll find data-driven insights, trends, challenges, and actionable strategies for succeeding in the Dutch social commerce ecosystem in 2025.

Market Outlook & Growth Trajectory

Strong projected growth

• The Netherlands’ social commerce market is expected to grow at a rate of 20.6% annually, reaching USD 7.39 billion by the end of 2025.
  
• From 2021 to 2024, the sector achieved a 22% CAGR, driven by deeper integration of commerce features in social apps.
  
• Post-2025, the forecasted CAGR from 2025 to 2030 is around 16.6%, expanding the market to nearly USD 15.92 billion by 2030.
  
• At the European level, social commerce is also experiencing significant growth: Europe’s market is projected to increase by 20.7% in 2025, reaching USD 146.35 billion.
  

These numbers underscore that the Netherlands is part of a broader continental shift toward shopping via social media.

Consumer adoption & penetration

• In the Netherlands, approximately 37% of consumers make purchases via Facebook and YouTube, while 35% use Instagram for shopping purposes.
  
• The share of consumers purchasing new products or brands via social media jumped from 13% in late 2023 to 31% in late 2024.
  
• On a generational level, 60% of Gen Z reported purchasing new products via social media in 2024.
  
• Dutch consumers are increasingly discovering brands via social media, with 66% of Gen Z reporting they found new products or brands on these platforms.
  

These adoption figures suggest social commerce is no longer niche—it’s becoming a standard shopping path, especially among younger users.

Key Drivers & Trends in Dutch Social Commerce

Integration of commerce into social platforms

Social media apps are evolving to embed shopping more deeply, with features such as live shopping, shoppable posts, in-app storefronts, and streamlined payment flows. The goal is to minimize friction between browsing and buying.

Investment in creator & influencer experiences

Brands are shifting budgets toward micro- and macro-influencers and creators, not just for reach, but also for authenticity. Nearly half of social-first brands report that partnerships with creators and influencers deliver the highest ROI. However, only around 39% of social-first brands say social commerce currently provides high ROI, suggesting there is still room for optimization.

Content, UGC, and “sharing the pen”

The concept of “sharing the pen”—letting creators and users contribute content—is gaining traction. User-generated content and social proof help build trust and drive conversions.

Regulatory & disclosure risks

In the Netherlands, influencer marketing compliance and transparency are under scrutiny. Research shows that disclosure practices are often lacking or insufficient across Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. Future regulations, both national and EU-wide, may require tighter rules for social commerce promotions, particularly to protect younger users.

Mobile-first & frictionless experience

With around 61% of Dutch consumers considering smartphone shopping as their primary mode, mobile-first execution is vital. The smoother the checkout within the social app, the less likely users are to abandon their cart.

Challenges & Risks for Dutch Brands

Actionable Strategies for Dutch Retailers

• Optimized in-app shopping experience: Utilize shoppable posts, live commerce, and embedded catalogs to keep users within the app.
  
• Leverage creators and community voices: Co-create content with trusted influencers and engage customers as brand ambassadors.
  
• Focus on mobile-first design and speed: Design social posts, checkout flows, and media with mobile users as priority.
  
• Experiment and iterate with attribution models: Use A/B testing and tracking to understand what works.
  
• Ensure legal and ethical compliance: Include disclosure tags and align with Dutch and EU ad regulations.
  
• Omnichannel integration: Let social commerce feed into your web store, CRM, email, and physical touchpoints.
  
• Localization and cultural relevance: Utilize the Dutch language, local imagery, cultural events, and tailored offers to foster stronger connections with consumers.
  

Social commerce in the Netherlands is experiencing rapid acceleration. The numbers indicate a transformative shift: for many Dutch consumers, discovering and purchasing products via social platforms is becoming a regular part of the shopping journey. Brands that embrace creators, deliver seamless mobile shopping, and respect regulatory boundaries will be best positioned to capture this growth.

The post Social Commerce Playbook for the Netherlands 2025 appeared first on Cross-Border Magazine.

In 2025, China continues to lead the global social commerce revolution, integrating social media, live streaming, and e-commerce into a seamless consumer experience. This article delves into China's current social selling landscape, highlighting key statistics, sales figures, prominent brands, leading marketplaces, and the most effective social media platforms for live shopping in China and across Asia.

1. Social Commerce in China: Market Size and Growth

Gross Merchandise Volume (GMV) and Market Share

• Social Commerce GMV: In 2023, China's social commerce sector achieved a GMV of approximately 3.42 trillion yuan, marking a 19.7% year-on-year growth.
  
• Penetration Rate: Social commerce is projected to account for 17.1% of China's online retail sales by 2025, up from 14.3% in 202.
  

Live Commerce Surge

• Market Size: China's live streaming e-commerce market reached nearly 5 trillion yuan in 2023, a significant increase from 420 billion yuan in 2019. It is forecasted to surge to 8.16 trillion yuan by 2026.
  
• Consumer Engagement: As of June 2023, the number of live streaming watchers in China hit 765 million, with shopping-related content being the most popular among viewers.
  

2. Leading Brands Utilizing Social Selling and Live Shopping

International Brands

• Procter & Gamble (P&G): To counteract a significant sales decline, P&G has intensified its efforts on China's Douyin platform. By investing in enhanced packaging and marketing strategies, particularly for Pantene shampoo, P&G has seen growth in online market share. Influencers on Douyin promote Pantene's benefits, aiding in reversing sales slumps.
  
• Estée Lauder: During the 11.11 Singles’ Day shopping festival, Estée Lauder partnered with influential beauty KOLs on Alibaba's Tmall platform, hosting interactive product demonstrations and tutorials. These efforts garnered 500 million views and generated $28 million in sales, solidifying Estée Lauder as the top beauty brand in pre-sales on Tmall.
  

Domestic Brands

• OSTMARS and APLX: In response to the U.S.'s newly imposed 145% tariffs on Chinese goods, Chinese exporters are seeking to offload unsellable stock meant for the American market by appealing to domestic consumers on the social media platform Rednote. Livestreams from sellers showcase discounted products, effectively tapping into nationalistic sentiment fueled by U.S.-China trade tensions.

3. Top Marketplaces for Social Selling and Live Shopping

Taobao Live (Diantao)

Taobao Live, Alibaba's dedicated live-streaming platform, remains a dominant force in China's live commerce landscape. It seamlessly integrates with Alibaba's vast marketplace, allowing consumers to move seamlessly from discovery to purchase.

JD.com

JD.com has launched a 200 billion yuan ($27.35 billion) fund to help Chinese exporters sell their products domestically. This fund supports the push to redirect export surplus into China’s domestic market amid geopolitical strains.

Pinduoduo

Known for its innovative group buying model, Pinduoduo continues to be a significant player in China's e-commerce scene, offering unique opportunities for social commerce.

4. Best Social Media Platforms for Live Shopping in China and Asia

Douyin (TikTok China)

Douyin has become a central platform for live commerce in China. Its integration of short videos and live streaming with e-commerce functionalities has attracted numerous brands and consumers.

Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book)

Xiaohongshu has evolved into a powerhouse for lifestyle content and social commerce. Its platform combines user-generated content with e-commerce, making it particularly popular among young Chinese women.

WeChat

WeChat has become a central e-commerce channel, allowing brands to sell items directly through the platform. Its messaging, social networking, and payment services integration provide a seamless shopping experience.

5. Consumer Behavior and Trends

Purchase Frequency

According to a survey by Rakuten Insight in May 2024, 51% of respondents reported making more than six purchases through live commerce platforms, indicating high consumer engagement.

Popular Product Categories

Apparel remains the most popular category in live commerce, followed by beauty products and food items, reflecting consumer preferences in live shopping environments.

Motivations for Live Commerce Purchases

New discount offers emerged as the biggest motivation for purchasing items through live commerce, highlighting the importance of promotions in driving sales.

Social selling in China has become an integral part of the retail landscape, driven by the seamless integration of social media, live streaming, and e-commerce. With significant investments from domestic and international brands, and the continuous evolution of platforms like Douyin, Xiaohongshu, and WeChat, China's social commerce market is poised for sustained growth. Understanding consumer behaviors and leveraging the strengths of various platforms will be crucial for brands aiming to succeed in this dynamic environment.

The post The Impact of Social Selling in China in 2025: A Comprehensive Analysis appeared first on Cross-Border Magazine.

In today’s Spotlight On, Suzanne Pronk, founder of Yourshoppingstream.com, shares insights on the future of live commerce and what makes it successful.

Can you briefly explain what Live commerce is and why it’s gaining

traction in ecommerce?

Live commerce is the next wave in live shopping, it blends live video streaming with e-commerce creating an interactive shopping experience, where consumers can watch, interact, and buy instantly. 

This trend is booming due to its mix of entertainment, interactivity, and instant purchasing, making online shopping more engaging and trustworthy. It drives customer engagement, increases sales, and boosts loyalty. While mainstream in China, live commerce is growing rapidly in the US and Europe.

What’s social commerce vs live commerce?

Social commerce focuses on short, direct sales moments with a strong call-to-action on social channels. It is highly effective for impulse buys and transaction-oriented content. 

Live commerce centers on premium branded content, where storytelling and entertainment deepen brand experiences and foster long-term engagement. Instead of simply promoting products, we create formats that blend storytelling and experiences with conversion.

How have consumer behaviors shifted towards video-based shopping experiences in recent years?

The rise of short-form video content, social commerce, and influencer marketing has made video a preferred medium. Video commerce, in its essence, is not new, branded content on platforms like YouTube has been around for some time.

However, live commerce is innovative because it introduces interactivity, allowing for real-time engagement and a more personalized shopping experience. Consumers now crave authentic, engaging, and interactive shopping experiences.

What industries or product categories benefit the most from live commerce?

Live commerce benefits industries based on their goals, whether it’s brand engagement, community building, or driving conversions. It’s especially effective for visual, demonstration-driven sectors like fashion, beauty, electronics, home décor, luxury, and travel, as well as services that can generate leads through strong calls to action.

How do AI enhance the shopping experience?

AI enables features like virtual try-ons and personalized recommendations, improving efficiency and stream performance. While AI generated hosts can optimize streams, human authenticity remains vital for connecting with consumers.

What are the best platforms for businesses looking to integrate live shopping into their strategy? 

Live commerce on your own platform offers greater control over content and audience engagement. Social platforms like Instagram and TikTok are better for quick, transactional moments. Both approaches can complement each other, social commerce for quick engagement and live commerce for long-term brand storytelling and connection.

How does live commerce impact cross border sales and international consumer trust?

Research shows that live commerce helps reduce return rates, benefiting cross-border sales.By offering real-time product views, interactive Q&As, and engagement with hosts, it builds trust and transparency. While studies on return rates are limited, many brands find that the immersive nature of live commerce reduces hesitation and fosters confident purchases, making it easier for brands to sell globally.

What challenges do brands face when using video commerce in different markets?

The same challenges brands already face when selling cross-border, including cultural differences and language barriers. To reach a broader audience, an English-speaking host and subtitles are essential, both of which YSS provides. However, live commerce offers cost-efficiency by enabling brands to run a single stream for multiple countries. 

Are there localization strategies that help make live commerce more effective globally?

To optimize live commerce across different markets, brands can supplement their streams with regional influencers or collaborate with influencers who have a broad European audience.  

The interactive nature of live commerce is key to engaging diverse audiences, but understanding cultural nuances and local preferences remains important for success. Using an English-speaking host with localized content, along with subtitles, can help bridge language barriers.

What are the common mistakes brands make when implementing live commerce?

The biggest challenge is treating live commerce as an innovative, ongoing project rather than just a series of pilot tests. Brands need to commit to running weekly or monthly live streams to build momentum and allow consumers to adjust to the new format. It’s essential to give it some time to take off.

Additionally, brands should focus on creating high quality video content and utilize data from each stream to optimize future broadcasts. Testing, optimizing, and refining content based on audience engagement will ensure continuous improvement and success.

What are the key elements of a high-converting live shopping experience?

A high-converting live shopping experience requires authentic content, seamless technical execution, and a strong brand fit. It should be engaging, entertaining, and create a sense of exclusivity with special discounts or products, driving viewer engagement and loyalty. 

How can small and medium-sized businesses compete with big brands in the video commerce space?

While larger companies benefit from a bigger audience and brand recognition, live commerce creates opportunities for smaller businesses, too. Since live stream production costs are relatively fixed, larger brands can cover them more easily, but smaller businesses can succeed by focusing on communities, using targeted paid media, collaborating with micro-influencers and using cost-effective live commerce solutions.

What role do influencers and live shopping events play in the future of ecommerce?

Influencers play a dual role in live commerce, now they are primarily used in live commerce for influencer marketing, acting as traffic generators and brand ambassadors. In addition to traditional influencers, we see the rise of Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs), experts who excel at live presentation, interaction, and building trust, making them highly effective in this space.

How do you see live commerce evolving in the next 5–10 years?

In five years, live shopping will be fully integrated into the marketing mix of brands and retailers, while broadcasters and publishers have developed new propositions in live commerce. AI will drive personalized shopping experiences, increasing customer engagement and loyalty. It will play a major role in e-commerce and entertainment.

What advice would you give to brands that want to stay ahead in video commerce?

Brands should stay innovative, experiment early, gather insights, and optimize continuously. Integrate live commerce for consistency and recognition. Manage data and inventory effectively; a strong brand fit with the format, the right hosts, and influencers for authenticity. Clearly defined goals will guide strategies for social commerce, partnerships, and maximizing reach.

The post Spotlight On: Suzanne Pronk 'The Future of Live Commerce' appeared first on Cross-Border Magazine.

TikTok Shop was originally tested with selected brands last year in the United States and is now expanding access to its in-profile product display option for selected users. 

As such, the company informed hand-picked vendors and retailers this week about the new TikTok Shop beta program and invited them to an initial test.

TikTok Shop is a function that allows companies, sellers, and influencers to sell their products through the social network. A function with which the platform wants to compete directly with e-commerce giants such as Amazon or AliExpress.

TikTok Shop aims to conquer a potential market of 3 billion users 

This social network has 1,052 million monthly active users and was one of the most downloaded applications in 2022 (2,000 million downloads in 2020, and the third quarter of 2022 exceeded 3,000 million). Figures are noticed by brands that are beginning to use this tool as a new sales channel.

In addition, for a limited time, companies can take advantage of an exclusive promotion offering 0% referral fees for the next 90 days. 

To participate in TikTok Shop, marketers simply click on the link in their email invitation. Those who have yet to receive the invitation can access the Beta registration here.

The TikTok legal battle in the US

Unfortunately for TikTok, the US authorities seem bent on banning the app inside the US. This year, on February 7, Jake Sullivan, U.S. National Security Advisor, expressed the White House's support for a bill proposed by a group of twelve Democratic and Republican senators called the RESTRICT Act (Restricting Security Threats Threatening Information and Communication Technologies Emergency), which would provide the U.S. government with the ability to ban TikTok nationwide.

Protecting national security. In a statement made by Sullivan assured that this measure would increase the US government's ability to "prevent certain governments from using U.S. operational technology services in a way that could threaten Americans' sensitive data and our national security."

The post TikTok Shop invites selected vendors to test its beta appeared first on Cross-Border Magazine.

According to Luxurydaily.com, Christian Dior is the first high-end luxury label to sell an expensive designer bag directly through the app.

Dior promoted a special handbag at the occasion of the Chinese equivalent of Valentine’s Day, ‘Qixi’. David Nauman, an expert of Boston Retail partners interviewed for the article, called the marketing campaign’s success ‘phenomenal’.

The success of this effort shows how important adaptation to local habits and preferences is. WeChat is immensely popular in China, boasting 700mn users in the People’s Republic alone.

The post Luxury label Dior dives into social selling in China appeared first on Cross-Border Magazine.