Amazon is investing €1.4bn in the Netherlands. AI is set to help combat Bol.com
Amazon has announced its largest investment to date in the Netherlands, committing €1.4 billion (US$1.63 billion) to develop operations over the next three years. This signals that the giant is taking seriously a market where it has been overshadowed by a local leader since launching in 2020.
Despite its global positioning, in the Netherlands Amazon (currently around 1,000 employees) is clearly behind the Bol.com platform, owned by retail giant Ahold Delhaize. The new investment is expected to be a lever to narrow this gap.
However, Amazon’s strategy goes beyond standard logistics and e-commerce. As Eva Faict, Amazon’s head of Belgium and the Netherlands, revealed in an interview with the daily Financieele Dagblad, an important part of the funds will be spent on the development of tools based on artificial intelligence. The beneficiaries are to be primarily third-party sellers (third-party sellers) using the platform. This is a strategic move to make Amazon’s marketplace more attractive to local entrepreneurs, who have so far preferred Bol.com.
The investment in the Netherlands is not an isolated move. The announcement came shortly after the company pledged $1.16 billion to develop operations in neighbouring Belgium. Amazon is clearly strengthening its position in the Benelux region.
