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Table of Contents

• Ecommerce in Germany shrinks, unlike other countri …

  • 📉 Ecommerce Peaks, Then Plunges

  • 🛒 Non-Food Weakens, Food Stalls

  • 📊 COVID Boom Gone, Minor Rebound in 2024

  • 💳 Fewer Shoppers, Spending Drops 6% Per Year

• Fashion & electronics thrive online, but food stay …

  • 🛍️ Fashion & Electronics Lead Online

  • 🎮 Clothing & Entertainment Still Rule

  • 🏡 Home & Groceries Gain Ground

  • 📦 More Spending on Household & Food

• Marketplaces now control 55% of German online shop …

  • 📦 Marketplaces Now Dominate

  • 👕 Fashion Retailers Are Winning

  • 🚀 Small Online Shops Are Catching Up

• Amazon, eBay & Otto lead Germany’s marketplace lan …

  • 📊 Amazon, eBay & Otto Still Rule

  • 📉 Otto’s Revenue Declines

  • 🚀 Shein’s Explosive Growth

  • 🌍 Chinese Marketplaces Gain Traction

Ecommerce in Germany shrinks, unlike other countries 📉 📉

• 📚Sources: einzelhandel bevh 

Germany’s ecommerce penetration fell from 17% in 2021 to 12% in 2024. Online sales declined from €99B in 2021 to €81B in 2024, marking a major shift back to physical retail.

📉 Ecommerce Peaks, Then Plunges

Until 2021, ecommerce in Germany was on a steady rise. Penetration increased from 11% in 2016 to 17% in 2021. Online sales grew from €53B in 2016 to €99B in 2021. However, since then, ecommerce penetration has fallen to 12% in 2024. Sales also dropped by €18B from their peak, reversing five years of gains. Meanwhile, total retail sales continued growing, from €425B in 2016 to €591B in 2024.

🛒 Non-Food Weakens, Food Stalls

Non-food online shopping is losing ground. The online share of non-food sales dropped from 21.3% in 2021 to 18.5% in 2023. Meanwhile, food ecommerce barely moved—rising slightly from 2.7% in 2021 to 2.9% in 2022, but stagnating at 2.9% in 2023. The preference for in-store grocery shopping remains strong.