- In 2020, the textile segment accounted for more than a quarter of the total B2C e-commerce sales in Germany.
- 43% of regular online shoppers are in the 20-39 age group, showing that online shopping has become an indispensable part of everyday life for many people.
Germany, August 9, 2021 – Unbeatable prices and tempting discounts that are being increased over time by thousands of retailers.
Although sale periods are no longer subject to government regulations and restrictions, most retailers still consider the last week of July as the unofficial start date. However, this is only a guideline, as the first summer sales usually start much earlier. Many shops offer discounts as early as mid-June and often last until the end of August.
According to the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), retail sales rose by 6.2% in June 2021 compared to June 2020. One of the key factors? The strong performance of e-commerce, which according to the Destatis report accounted for 38.4% of sales, a figure well above that of February 2020, the last month before the pandemic.
According to Statista, consumer e-commerce generated sales of almost €73 billion in 2020, a 23% increase from the previous year. The top-selling product groups in German online retail are clothing, followed by electronics and telecommunications. The clothing segment accounts for more than a quarter of the total turnover in B2C e-commerce.
“The textile sector and e-commerce have experienced a revolution in recent years. Despite the initial distrust of consumers, more and more people dare to shop online. The key to success is the improvement in the logistics sector, which is becoming faster, more efficient and more responsive to traditional issues such as returns, exchanges and deliveries,” says Matthew Trattles, Chief Commercial Officer at Packlink.
Increasing online retail sales, a matter of trust
At the end of 2020, Statista Research published a survey on the biggest fears about online shopping. According to the survey, 25.9% of respondents feared the theft of personal data when shopping online. On the other hand, 24.8% of respondents feared that ordered products would not be delivered even though they had paid the purchase price.
Despite these fears, the continued trend seems to be confirmed, especially in recent months, partly due to the pandemic. It is expected that the number of e-commerce users will increase to around 68 million by 2024, with 43% of shoppers aged between 20 and 39. This data shows that online shopping has become an indispensable part of everyday life for many people.
This is supported by the “Radiography of Online Sellers” study published by Packlink last June. According to the European start-up, in the first half of 2021, more than 45% of shipments handled via its professional logistics platform, Packlink PRO, were in the fashion and accessories and technology categories.
Only 14% of returns and incidents are related to a faulty product and only 8% are due to the wrong size. One of the main problems German consumers have when receiving a parcel is the absence of the customer during delivery, which accounts for almost 35% of complaints. However, convenience points are increasingly used in Germany and their advantages are obvious to the German consumer. Almost 40% of users say they prefer not to have to wait at home and 32% highlight the time flexibility this type of delivery offers.
Of the four major EU markets – Germany, Spain, France and Italy – Germany is by far the market with the lowest demand for express delivery services, with only 5%, compared to 40% in Spain, 19% in Italy and 12% in France.
“The upward trend of e-commerce in the textile industry will continue in the coming years. And it will not be to the detriment of physical shops, but rather a complement to this sector, which is so important for the German economy as a whole to continue to grow and expand in the rest of the world,” concludes Matthew Trattles, Chief Commercial Officer of Packlink.
About Packlink
Packlink was launched in 2012 as a parcel delivery comparison and contracting platform for individuals and businesses. With the impressive e-commerce boom, Packlink has experienced rapid growth. The company now operates in several European markets and offers more than 300 transport services and shipping technologies for SMEs and large companies, ensuring that both private individuals and companies save time and money on transporting goods. Packlink’s goal is to make shipping easy and transparent for consumers, businesses and e-commerces around the world.
In 2016, Packlink developed its new tool for businesses: Packlink PRO. Through cutting-edge technology that automates the logistics process and allows integration with online shops, it is possible to simplify the management of shipments by aggregating the offer of the main carriers, allowing users to save time and money. The aim is to facilitate the shipping process for small and medium-sized online businesses, sellers on marketplaces and developers, making Packlink an ally in logistics that can be integrated with various platforms.
For more information about Packlink, visit www.packlink.de
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