bol.com Buy Box Guide: The Complete Guide to Selling More

What is the buy box on bol.com?

The buy box (called 'koopblok' in Dutch) is the block on a bol.com product page where customers can directly click 'Add to cart'. When multiple sellers offer the same product, bol.com determines which seller appears in the buy box.

Why is the buy box so important?

• 80-90% of sales go through the buy box
• Customers rarely click 'View other sellers'
• The buy box is prominently displayed at the top of the page
• Mobile users often only see the buy box

If you don't have the buy box, you miss the vast majority of potential sales on that product. That's why it's crucial to understand how you can win the buy box.

How does bol.com determine who gets the buy box?

bol.com uses an algorithm to determine which seller gets the buy box. This algorithm looks at several factors:

1. Price (including shipping costs)
The total price the customer pays is an important factor. This is product price + shipping costs. A lower total price increases your chance of the buy box.

2. Delivery time
Faster delivery = higher chance of the buy box. bol.com rewards sellers who can deliver within 24-48 hours. LVB (Logistics via bol.com) often gives an advantage.

3. Seller performance
bol.com looks at your historical performance:
• Percentage shipped on time
• Cancellation percentage
• Customer satisfaction and reviews
• Track record with uploading invoices

4. Stock level
Sellers with sufficient stock have a higher chance. If you're regularly 'out of stock', your buy box percentage drops.

5. Product condition
New products get priority over second-hand or refurbished items.

Buy box strategy: Optimizing price

Price is one of the most important factors for the buy box. But note: the lowest price doesn't automatically guarantee the buy box.

Total price counts
bol.com looks at the total price (product + shipping). A product of €19.95 with free shipping can win from €17.95 + €4.95 shipping costs.

Dynamic pricing
Many successful sellers use dynamic pricing:
• Automatically adjust to competition
• Set price rules (minimum price, maximum discount)
• Real-time monitoring of buy box status

Avoid the race to the bottom
Watch out for a price war. If you price too low:
• Your margin disappears
• You can't invest in service
• Ultimately everyone loses

Smart pricing strategy

• Calculate your break-even price (including bol.com commission)
• Maintain a minimum margin of 15-20%
• Focus on sellers with similar delivery times
• Monitor your buy box percentage daily

Improving delivery time for the buy box

Besides price, delivery time is crucial. Customers want to receive their order quickly, and bol.com rewards fast delivery.

Options for faster delivery:

• Logistics via bol.com (LVB): bol.com handles storage and shipping. This often gives a buy box advantage because delivery is guaranteed to be fast.
• Optimize your own warehouse: Ensure efficient picking and packing processes.
• Cut-off times: Extend your cut-off time so more orders ship the same day.

Give realistic delivery times
Don't overestimate your delivery time. If you promise 1-2 days but deliver after 3 days:
• Your seller performance drops
• Your buy box chance decreases
• You get negative reviews

Optimizing seller performance

Your seller performance is an important factor for the buy box. bol.com measures this using various KPIs:

Key KPIs:

• Shipped on time: Percentage of orders delivered to carrier on time (target: >98%)
• Cancellations: Percentage of orders cancelled by you (target: <2%)
• Returns: Return percentage (lower is better)
• Customer questions: Speed of responding to questions
• Reviews: Average rating and number of reviews

How to improve your performance?

1. Automate processes: Use software for order processing and invoicing
2. Keep stock accurate: Prevent cancellations with good stock sync
3. Respond quickly: Answer customer questions within 24 hours
4. Communicate proactively: Inform customers of delays
5. Upload invoices: Make sure every order has an invoice

Watch the invoice requirement!
bol.com checks if you upload invoices to the customer portal. No invoices = risk of lower seller performance and even account restrictions.

Buy box monitoring and analysis

To win the buy box, you need to know where you stand. Monitoring is essential.

What should you monitor?

• Buy box percentage: How often do you have the buy box? (found in Seller Platform)
• Competition analysis: Who are your competitors and what are their prices?
• Price history: How do prices develop over time?
• Performance per product: Which products perform well/poorly?

Tools for buy box monitoring:

• bol.com Seller Platform (basic analytics)
• Repricer tools (automatically adjust prices)
• Winkel Factuur (automate invoicing for better performance)
• Spreadsheet tracking (for smaller sellers)

Take action on data
Monitoring without action is pointless. Set alerts for:
• Buy box loss on important products
• Price changes from competitors
• Drop in seller performance

LVB (Logistics via bol.com) and the buy box

Logistics via bol.com (LVB) is a fulfillment service where bol.com stores and ships your products. This has a direct impact on your buy box chances.

Advantages of LVB for the buy box:

• Faster delivery: Often next-day delivery
• Reliability: bol.com guarantees delivery
• Higher conversion: Customers trust LVB shipping
• Less operational burden: You don't have to ship

Disadvantages of LVB:

• Cost per shipment (€3-6 depending on format)
• Storage costs per m³
• Less control over shipping process
• Inbound logistics must be arranged

When to choose LVB?
LVB is ideal if:
• You have lots of competition on popular products
• Fast delivery is crucial for your category
• You don't have or want your own warehouse
• You want to scale without operational growth

Invoicing with LVB
Even with LVB, you remain responsible for invoices. Winkel Factuur works seamlessly with LVB orders.

Common mistakes with the buy box

Many sellers make the same mistakes that cause them to miss the buy box:

1. Only focusing on price
The lowest price doesn't always win. A seller with better performance and slightly higher price can get the buy box.

2. Forgetting shipping costs
Your product price may be lower, but if your shipping costs are high, you lose on total price.

3. Overestimating delivery times
Too optimistic delivery times lead to poor performance and ultimately buy box loss.

4. Not managing stock
Being regularly 'unavailable' structurally damages your buy box position.

5. Neglecting invoicing
bol.com checks if you upload invoices. This counts toward your seller performance.

6. Not monitoring
Without monitoring, you don't know why you're losing the buy box. Data is essential.

7. Ignoring customer service
Slow responses to questions and complaints hurt your performance and reviews.

Buy box for new sellers

As a new seller on bol.com, the buy box is extra challenging. You don't have a track record yet.

Tips for new sellers:

• Start with unique products: Choose products with little competition
• Build your track record: Focus on good performance first, then volume
• Price competitively: Initially, you may need to price slightly lower
• Always deliver on time: Every late delivery hurts your building reputation
• Ask for reviews: Positive reviews strengthen your position

Realistic expectations
It takes time to win the buy box on popular products. First focus on:
• Niche products with less competition
• Perfect execution of every order
• Building positive reviews

Automate from day one
Even as a new seller, your invoicing must be in order. This prevents problems later.

Buy box and seasonal peaks

During peak periods (Sinterklaas, Christmas, Black Friday), the battle for the buy box intensifies.

Preparing for peak periods:

• Build stock: Make sure you don't sell out
• Adjust delivery times: Account for longer shipping times
• Determine pricing strategy: Will you join discounts or not?
• Expand capacity: Can you handle the volume?

Buy box tactics during peaks:

• Monitor competitors extra closely
• Consider LVB for guaranteed delivery
• Keep prices stable (avoid race to bottom)
• Focus on products where you're already strong

After the peak:
Evaluate your performance. How much buy box did you have? Where did you lose? Learn for the next peak.

Conclusion: How to win the buy box

Winning the buy box is not coincidence but the result of a well-thought-out strategy:

Buy box strategy summary:

• Price: Competitive but profitable (total price counts)
• Delivery time: As fast as possible, but realistic
• Performance: Focus on all KPIs, not just sales
• Invoicing: Automate to prevent errors
• Monitoring: Know where you stand and take action
• Consider LVB: Especially with high competition

The buy box is not a final destination but a continuous process. The market changes, competitors adapt, and bol.com regularly updates the algorithm. Keep monitoring, optimizing, and adjusting.