Other dairy is a very diverse category in the Netherlands. Value growth in 2025 can be linked to further increases in average unit prices due to higher costs and a growing interest in added value products. However, almost all categories recorded a decline in volume sales with some consumers put off by higher prices.

Volume sales of drinking milk products in the Netherlands declined marginally in 2025. The habit of drinking a glass of milk with breakfast and even lunch is slowly fading, although drinking milk is a popular ingredient for different types of drinks and meals. Consumers use drinking milk to create smoothies and coffee-based drinks at home and often eat cereal with milk.

Baby food in the Netherlands achieved healthy growth in value terms over 2025, driven by further increases in average unit prices across several baby food categories. Manufacturers continued to face rising costs which were passed on to consumers. In recent years, there has also been a shift away from mainstream to premium brands. Because of slow birth rates in the Netherlands, major players have tried different strategies to stabilise volume sales.

A major shift in eating habits is underpinning strong growth in yoghurt and sour milk products in the Netherlands. Roughly 30% of consumers have a bowl of yoghurt with fruit, muesli or other types of seeds and grains for breakfast, rather than the traditional cheese sandwich. Consumers who believe that eating yoghurt with healthy toppings is a better and healthier way to start of the day have driven this development. Overall, yoghurt and sour milk products have several perceived health benefits

Cheese consumption patterns are gradually evolving in the Netherlands. People are moving away from the tradition of eating cheese sandwiches at breakfast and putting sales of hard cheeses like Dutch Edam and Gouda style cheeses under pressure. On a positive note, consumers are becoming more accustomed to eating cheese before and after a meal, and cheese is also becoming more widely used as an ingredient in evening meals. Mediterranean cuisine such as pasta with cheese or salads with cheese are v

Butter and spreads in the Netherlands is being challenged by changes in Dutch food culture. The traditional habit of eating sandwiches for breakfast and lunch is evolving with less bread consumed on such occasions. Volume sales of butter and spreads is seeing ongoing decline as a result. Instead of the traditional sandwich, consumers are opting for yoghurt, fruit or cereal at breakfast as this is considered a healthier and more nutritious option. In cooking fats, a similar shift in eating cultur

Changes in food consumption at breakfast and lunchtime combined with the sheer maturity of the dairy category in the Netherlands has restricted volume growth in 2025. Overall performance in value terms was much more positive with a notable uptick on the previous year. In 2025, there was a further increase in price inflation for dairy products prompting consumers to seek out more affordable dairy and products delivering value for money. Private label is already an important part of the dairy cate

Plant-based dairy continues to witness steady growth in the Netherlands, although it is less explosive than anticipated. Breakfast is the most important consumption occasion for plant-based dairy as consumers are increasingly choosing plant-based alternatives for breakfast cereals, in coffee or as part of a smoothie. Convenience, functionality and the use of recognisable ingredients are other aspects of plant-based dairy which play a role in its success. For many consumers plant-based dairy is n

There has been little change since 2020 in the percentage of Dutch consumers who feel they can make a difference in the world through their green choices, but around half of all consumers try to make an impact on the environment with everyday actions. Over 50% reduce food waste while over 40% reduce energy consumption and recycle items. Vegetarian and vegan claims enjoy the highest spend per capita in the biggest industry, staple foods, supported by the flexitarian trend, and providing ongoing o

Volume sales of home audio and cinema products in the Netherlands are expected to decline in 2025, with the exception of soundbars, which stand out as the only category showing growth. In contrast, traditional home audio formats, such as component stereo systems and multi-speaker setups, will continue to decline in both volume and value. These systems often require technical knowledge, dedicated space, and careful component matching, which increasingly limits their appeal to a niche audience of

Volume sales of in-car entertainment are set to record a double-decline in 2025, driven primarily by the increasing integration of infotainment systems by OEMs (Original equipment manufacturers). Virtually all new cars sold in the Netherlands come equipped with built-in multimedia and navigation systems, many of which run on proprietary platforms or support seamless smartphone mirroring through Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. This embedded functionality has effectively eliminated consumer demand

Consumer electronics in the Netherlands is set to achieved low-level positive volume growth in 2025. This outcome is being supported by upgrades in AI-capable, health-integrated, and ecosystem-connected devices. Replacement cycles have not shortened for most categories, and several traditional segments, such as in-car entertainment, imaging devices, and home audio, continue to decline. Despite this, volume growth is being sustained by strong demand in premium segments and growth categories such

Volume sales of computers and peripherals are set to record a marginal decrease in 2025, with computers anticipated to be the best-performing category, despite a slight retail volume decline. 2025 marks a key inflection point for consumer-grade laptops, as AI-enabled computing moves from early adoption to the mass market. This shift is being catalysed by major OS-level support from Microsoft (Windows Copilot), Apple (Apple Intelligence), and Google (Chromebooks with Gemini AI support). An increa

Volume sales of imaging devices in the Netherlands are set to record a double-digit decline in 2025, reflecting the continued challenges faced by the widespread adoption of high-end smartphone cameras. While the market remains viable, it is increasingly concentrated among enthusiasts and semi-professionals who prioritise manual control, interchangeable lenses, and superior image quality for commercial or artistic purposes. This is particularly the case in areas where smartphones may remain inade

Volume sales of mobile phones in the Netherlands are projected to increase in 2025, with smartphones representing the most dynamic segment, while feature phones are expected to experience a double-digit decline in volume. The appeal of smartphones is shifting away from incremental improvements in speed or camera capabilities towards advanced AI features such as live transcription, call summarisation, on-device translation, AI-driven image and video editing tools, smarter battery optimisation, an

Volume sales of home video products in the Netherlands are expected to rise in 2025, driven predominantly by sustained demand for LCD televisions, the market’s largest category by volume. A significant portion of this growth stems from the natural replacement cycle following the surge in TV purchases during the early COVID-19 period. Many consumers are now upgrading to newer models that offer full-featured smart TV functionality, improved processors, faster user interfaces, integrated voice cont

Volume sales of wearable electronics in the Netherlands are expected to decline in 2025, following a sharp peak in sales observed in 2023. Consequently, the decline is not indicative of weakening consumer interest, but reflects a normalisation after a surge in adoption. As many Dutch consumers purchased devices in 2023, following COVID-19 and a rise in health consciousness, they are unlikely to upgrade again, contributing to a slowdown in replacement-driven demand in 2024 and 2025. Nonetheless,

Volume sales of portable players are set to rise in the Netherlands in 2025, driven almost entirely by the strong and sustained demand for wireless speakers. This is the only subcategory within portable players showing positive momentum, while others, including e-readers and portable media players, will continue to decline in volume terms.

Volume sales of wireless headphones are set to rise in the Netherlands in 2025, driven by smartphone purchases and increasing reliance on wireless audio solutions. With major smartphone manufacturers such as Apple, Samsung, and Google continuing to phase out 3.5mm headphone jacks, wireless headphones have become the default accessory for most users. This trend is reinforced by bundled offers and ecosystem integration, such as AirPods for iPhone users or Galaxy Buds for Samsung owners, encouragin

Following the extreme retail price increases in chocolate confectionery in 2024, average unit prices in the Netherlands continued to climb in 2025. The rising wholesale price of cocoa on a global level pushed up raw material costs, which manufacturers passed on to consumers. Whilst these price hikes translated into robust value growth, consumers were turned off by higher prices resulting in lower consumption of chocolate confectionery. As a result, retail volume sales declined in 2025.

In 2024, total hot drinks packaging retail volumes in the Netherlands rose by 1% to 726 million units. A pivotal shift was seen due to regulatory, consumer, and industry forces. The EU Single-Use Plastics Directive and the Netherlands’ Fee Modulation Plastic 2.0 imposed stricter rules, including bans on free single-use plastics and penalties for non-recyclable multi-layered formats like sachets and tea bags. Despite cost-of-living pressures and the search for affordability, consumers increasingl

Volume sales of sugar confectionery declined in retail volume terms during 2025 but recorded healthy growth in current value terms. Consumers were put off by the recent price hikes, although many became more health conscious with their snack choices and sought to limit their consumption of sugar confectionery. There was some success for low sugar alternatives within the category, but these did not generate enough volume growth to fully compensate for the loss in revenues. Retail value sales have

In 2024, total soft drinks packaging retail volumes in the Netherlands decreased by 0.4% to 3.8 billion units, driven by a combination of regulatory changes and ongoing cost-of-living pressures. The extension of the national deposit return scheme to metal beverage containers and the increase in the sugar-sweetened beverage tax led to higher retail prices, discouraging casual purchases and prompting some consumers to opt for tap or filtered water instead of packaged soft drinks. As a result, manu

The gum category remained relatively stable with a minimal increase in both retail volume and retail sales in 2025. This is a very mature category, and manufacturers of gum are struggling to reach new audiences. One of the challenges is the decline in relevance of gum among young consumers. Previous generations have perceived gum to be a trendy product and generally an essential snack product among youth. One major issue is the rising price of gum, which has become so expensive it has become les