European distribution centres for e-commerce are not being placed in Belgium, but just outside the Belgian border. This, according to trade federation Comeos, is due to the unfavourable regulations surrounding fulfilment in Belgium.
The trade federation speaks of a wave of European distribution centres just outside Belgium. Twenty-four distribution centres have been built in these border regions over the past four years: 17 in the Netherlands, four in Germany and three in France. According to Comeos' calculations, Belgium is losing up to 15,130 jobs as a result.
Webshops in Belgium are running into regulations around night work, working on Sundays, flexitime and higher labour costs. Because they still want to deliver quickly, it is more favourable for them to take the fulfilment to neighbouring countries such as the Netherlands, France and Germany.
Comeos raised the alarm back in 2015 as Belgian web shops moved their logistics operations en masse to the Netherlands. The year before, 42 per cent of online spending by Belgian shoppers flowed abroad. Consumers bought a lot from foreign webshops and from Belgian retailers operating from abroad. Belgium then lost EUR 2.4 billion.
Relaxation of regulations
To close the gap between the Belgian and Dutch online sectors, it was decided to allow night work. But six months after its introduction, it turned out that very few e-commerce companies made use of it. The introduction of night work would have to be approved by unions on a company-by-company basis. That caused long negotiation periods. That hurdle has now been removed by the government. A reduction in labour costs should further ensure that companies provide fulfilment in Belgium.
Editorial LogistiekProfs
