Business News in English
Latest business headlines from Dutch news, translated into English.
Magnum prevents empty shelves during heatwave and grows by 4.7 percent
Ice cream manufacturer Magnum reported a 4.7 percent increase in sales during the first half of 2026. The company benefited from hot weather across Europe, with particularly strong sales growth in Fra...
Over 11,000 Enexis customers are waiting for a new or upgraded connection
Grid operator Enexis reported that its waiting list for new or upgraded electricity connections grew by 734 requests in the first half of the year. Despite doubling its newly constructed grid capacity...
AI-generated photos on Vinted give a misleading impression of secondhand clothing
Vinted sellers are increasingly using AI-generated model photos to showcase second-hand clothing instead of photographing themselves. However, the platform prohibits this practice because it can lead ...
Shell profits from high oil prices due to Middle East war
Shell reported a significant increase in second-quarter profits, reaching 9.8 billion dollars compared to 6.9 billion dollars in the first quarter. This growth was driven by rising oil prices resultin...
Dutch economy grows primarily due to higher household consumption
The Dutch economy grew by 0.4 percent in the second quarter of 2026, according to Statistics Netherlands. This growth is driven primarily by increased household consumption, representing a slight rise...
Dutch economy grows faster in second quarter, driven by higher consumption
The Dutch economy grew by 0.4 percent in the second quarter compared to the previous quarter, according to Statistics Netherlands. This growth, which was primarily driven by higher consumption, repres...
Meta revenue surges but profits fall due to high AI costs
Meta Platforms reported an increase in quarterly revenue driven by higher advertising prices. However, the company's overall profit declined due to significant investments in artificial intelligence a...
KLM profit rises on higher ticket prices despite Iran conflict and high fuel costs
KLM reported increased profits for the last quarter despite the impact of the Iran conflict and rising jet fuel costs. The airline successfully offset these expenses by increasing ticket prices for pa...
Justin Bieber's shoes and Shakira's top: World Cup auction raises hundreds of thousands
An online auction featuring memorabilia from the 2026 FIFA World Cup, including items from Justin Bieber and Shakira, raised over $652,000. The proceeds will be donated to the FIFA Global Citizen Educ...
Building permit fees vary significantly by municipality
A yearly study by the Vereniging Eigen Huis shows that building permit costs vary significantly between municipalities in the Netherlands. In some cases, residents may pay tens of thousands of euros m...
Amsterdam designer Joost Grootens in the running to design new euro banknote
Amsterdam-based designer Joost Grootens has been selected as one of ten finalists to design the new series of euro banknotes. His proposed designs, which focus on humanizing European icons, are compet...
Labor market remains tight despite fewer job vacancies
The labor market in the Netherlands tightened slightly in the second quarter, with 95 vacancies for every 100 unemployed individuals. Meanwhile, the number of self-employed workers has declined for th...
To spray with salt water or not to spray? Potato farmers struggle with drought
Potato farmers in the southern part of North Holland are struggling with drought and rising salt levels in irrigation water, forcing them to choose between using harmful water or letting crops wither....
Sellers with asking prices that are too high forced to lower them: average price drop of 41,551 euros
In the past quarter, one in eight home sellers in the Netherlands were forced to lower their asking prices, marking the highest rate in two and a half years. On average, these sellers reduced their pr...
More homes offered and sold in Amsterdam at a lower average transaction price, but a turnaround seems imminent
High number of sick leave reports in healthcare sector costs at least 5.8 billion euros annually
The healthcare sector in the Netherlands faces annual costs of at least 5.8 billion euros due to high employee absenteeism. With an average absence rate of 7.5 percent, healthcare workers have the hig...
Will the plane you take on holiday have folding wings in a few years?
Aircraft manufacturer Airbus is set to test folding wingtips on narrowbody aircraft designed for short to medium-haul flights. This technology, which allows wings to fold, could be implemented on comm...
Beer market slumps, but enthusiasts remain thirsty for unique and foreign brews
While the overall Dutch beer market is currently facing a downturn, some entrepreneurs are finding success by focusing on niche online sales of unique and alcohol-free specialty beers. Businesses like...
Train tickets and subscriptions are generating profit for NS again
NS reported a modest profit in the first half of 2026, supported by an average 6.5 percent increase in ticket prices. Despite the higher costs, the Dutch national railway operator saw a slight rise in...
Fitz-Jim moves to Torino, Ajax receives around 3 million euros for the midfielder
Ajax midfielder Kian Fitz-Jim is set to join Italian club Torino after undergoing a medical examination today. The 23-year-old will sign a three-year contract, with an option for an additional season,...
Tax authorities save nearly 2 million euros on letters and blue envelopes
The Dutch Tax and Customs Administration is saving nearly 2 million euros in printing and mailing costs as fewer blue envelopes are being sent. This decrease is due to nearly four million citizens opt...
Revolution in Dutch festival scene: hunting for dirt-cheap tickets becomes harder
TicketSwap has introduced a new feature allowing festival organizers to set minimum price limits on secondary ticket sales. This change aims to end the practice of dumping tickets at extremely low pri...
AD editor-in-chief Rennie Rijpma becomes media director of KRO-NCRV
Rennie Rijpma will step down as editor-in-chief of the AD newspaper to become the new media director of KRO-NCRV. She is scheduled to begin her new role at the broadcaster on October 1st.
KLM maintenance division under enhanced supervision since May
Since May, KLM's maintenance division has been under enhanced supervision by the Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT). An airline spokesperson confirmed this regulatory development on We...
BMW to cut thousands of jobs starting next year
BMW has announced plans to cut 8,000 jobs worldwide starting next year. The company intends to implement these reductions through natural attrition and voluntary severance programs.
More than half of cars sold will be electric next year
Economists at ING expect that more than half of all new cars sold in the Netherlands next year will be fully electric. This forecast highlights a significant shift in the automotive market towards ele...
Working as a reservist during office hours: it's possible at more and more companies
The Dutch Ministry of Defence has signed covenants with 57 organizations, up from 12 two years ago, to encourage employees to serve as military reservists during working hours. These companies are com...
Brewers sell less alcoholic beer, while non-alcoholic beer grows rapidly
Dutch consumers are purchasing less beer containing alcohol as the trend toward non-alcoholic alternatives grows. The shift indicates that drinking alcohol-free beer is becoming increasingly common ac...
Tech hubs Amsterdam and Eindhoven must collaborate to remain digitally sovereign from the US and China
Apple market value breaks 5 trillion dollar mark
Apple's market capitalization has surpassed $5 trillion for the first time, joining chipmaker NVIDIA as the only companies to reach this valuation. Apple recently overtook NVIDIA to become the world's...