Amazon commits over €1.4bn to expand operations in the Netherlands

Amazon plans to invest more than €1.4 billion in the Netherlands between 2025 and 2027, its largest commitment since launching locally in 2020, as the group looks to bolster both Amazon Web Services and retail operations while supporting small and medium-sized businesses.

The company employs around 1,000 people in the country and trails market leader Bol.com, part of Ahold Delhaize. Announcing the plans at an anniversary congress in The Hague, Eva Faict, country manager for Amazon Belgium and the Netherlands, said: “The Netherlands is an important growth market for us. Our primary focus is on continuously offering our Dutch customers low prices, a wide selection of products, and faster and convenient delivery options, and this investment of more than €1.4 billion in the Netherlands reflects that commitment.” She added: “With these investments, we can serve our customers even better, improve our services, while also creating opportunities for local businesses to grow and further support Dutch entrepreneurs with our technology and expertise.”

Faict told Dutch financial daily FD that part of the funding is aimed at developing artificial intelligence tools for entrepreneurs who sell on Amazon’s platform. Amazon said more than 60 per cent of products sold on Amazon.nl come from selling partners, and that it offers logistics solutions, marketing tools and export opportunities to help those businesses scale. Through AWS, the company said Dutch entrepreneurs can access cloud and data services to increase productivity and adopt AI capabilities.

Independent consultancy Keystone Strategy estimates that Amazon’s investments supported more than 2,000 indirect jobs and 900 induced jobs in 2024 in construction, logistics and professional services. Keystone said the company contributed more than €200 million to Dutch GDP in 2024, with a cumulative contribution exceeding €1 billion since 2013.

In a separate statement earlier this month, Amazon announced a $1.16 billion investment in Belgium to improve delivery speed and services for Belgian sales partners. Faict, who also oversees Belgium, said: “More than 60 per cent of all products sold on Amazon.nl now come from our sales partners, and we are seeing more and more Dutch entrepreneurs successfully growing their businesses and reaching customers in the Netherlands and worldwide.”

Amazon noted that nearly 4,500 Dutch SMEs sell on its marketplace, with close to 90 per cent reaching customers worldwide across 170 countries, and over 75 per cent exporting to other EU member states. The company said the most popular export destinations include Germany, France, the United States, the United Kingdom and Italy.