International e-commerce company Amazon has launched their very own fleet of electric delivery vans, which will soon take to the roads to carry out Amazon deliveries here in the Netherlands.
After scaling up services in the Netherlands back in 2020 and establishing a distribution centre around the corner from Schiphol Airport which officially opened this week, Amazon is set to take the next step in expanding its business in the Netherlands.
The distribution centre was set up to manage deliveries in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, Haarlem, and Utrecht, and soon 200 Amazon vans - 40 of which will be electric - will take over the deliveries for these areas. The company will still collaborate with a number of external couriers to carry out deliveries outside of the Randstad.
Amazon was slow to take off here in the Netherlands, but since launching the Dutch webshop last year, the site has grown significantly, presenting serious competition to local sites like Bol.com. Figures show that the most popular products sold on Amazon.nl are kitchenware, such as coffee machines, electronics, home gadgets and decor, and sports equipment.
While no plans have been announced to open a second distribution centre, Karsten Frost, the regional director for logistics, says there is definitely potential for further expansion. According to Frost, the Netherlands presents an “interesting market” for the company: “We wouldn't be here if we didn't see opportunities here.”