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In June 2026, 8 million logged-in users in the Netherlands had shopping-related searches on YouTube.1
Let that sink in.
In a country of 18 million people, that isn’t casual background entertainment. It is a high-intent, active commercial discovery at an extraordinary scale.
And when 69% of Dutch viewers think of creators on YouTube as experts and say that they are more likely to buy a product, brand, or services if recommended by their favourite creator,2 you know we have to bring those two worlds together.
That’s why we’ve launched the YouTube Shopping Affiliate Programme in the Netherlands, creating an ecosystem where creators, retailers, and viewers connect seamlessly. Offering a powerful new avenue for creators to scale their businesses, enable brands and retailers to build meaningful connections with engaged audiences, and provide viewers with an enjoyable shopping experience.
It’s a win-win-win.
And we’re doing it alongside a partner woven into the very fabric of Dutch daily life (one that literally became a household verb) with the country’s largest affiliate network: bol.
Fiona Vanderbroeck is the marketing and consumer director at bol. And she explains why the platform is excited for the new YouTube era.
Fiona Vanderbroeck, Marketing Director, bol
“Creators and brands are shaping the future of commerce together. Creators come with different audiences, interests, and stories, but they share one vital foundation: people trust them. They earned that upload by upload.
“People watch creator content to get inspired, and through that inspiration, they decide what to buy. Every single month, 8 million people in the Netherlands search for something to buy on YouTube. Creators see it every day in their comments — viewers asking where they got that lamp, which camera they use, or which pan works best.
“Until now, turning that trusted recommendation into a purchase wasn’t straightforward. We’ve all lived through the clunky workarounds: pausing the video, hunting through the description box, copying a 16-digit promo code in all-caps, opening a new browser tab, and pasting it in. It was far from frictionless.
“That changes now.
“Dutch creators can tag products from bol directly inside their videos and earn commission along the way. Whether your focus is gaming, beauty, family life, or tech, bol’s catalogue of over 50 million products offers something for every niche and every community.
“For viewers, it’s a seamless, one-tap journey straight from the watch page to checkout.
“For brands, the opportunity is just as transformative. With over 57% of Dutch consumers buying through social channels, product discovery has decisively shifted to creators.
“Ultimately, it all comes back to trust. When someone is inspired to buy, they need confidence in where they’re buying. That’s where bol comes in. Trust is at the core of who we are — it’s what makes bol the most trusted and loved retail brand in the Netherlands.”
What this means for modern marketing leaders
YouTube creators are at the heart of everything we do, and this expansion provides them with a way to diversify their earnings while engaging with brands and viewers alike.
By bringing our Shopping Affiliate Programme to the Netherlands, we’re strengthening the connection between creators, their fans, and the brands they love, turning trusted recommendations into real growth for everyone.
- Inspiration and checkout are now simultaneous: Meeting consumers inside their primary viewing habitat protects conversion intent from high-friction drop-offs. After all, the lag between someone wanting a product and buying it has evaporated.
- Trust becomes a measurable performance channel: Authentic creator reviews have always driven purchase decisions; native affiliate tagging now gives brands the infrastructure to track, attribute, and scale that cultural influence directly.
- Every video frame is active shelf space: Across mobile Shorts, long-form watch pages, and Connected TVs in the living room, video is no longer just media real estate — it is a live digital storefront.
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