Have you ever thought about how big the world of online shopping is in Germany? With more and more people turning to the internet for everything from fashion to electronics, e-commerce has become a key part of daily life.
But what do the numbers really say?
In this article, we’ll look into over 100 key statistics about e-commerce in Germany, revealing surprising trends, the rapid rise of social commerce, and how mobile shopping is set to dominate. No matter if you’re a business owner or just curious, these statistics highlight the power and future potential of online shopping in one of Europe’s largest markets:
1. General e-commerce statistics for Germany
Are you curious about the future of online shopping in Germany?
Get ready for impressive numbers and rapid growth as we explore the current trends and future projections for e-commerce in the country.
From revenue spikes to user engagement, these stats will show why Germany is a major player in global e-commerce:
- Revenue in 2025: E-commerce revenue is expected to hit $107.85 billion.
- Projected Revenue in 2029: The market is expected to reach $142.04 billion by 2029.
- Revenue Growth Rate: The e-commerce market is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 7.13% from 2025 to 2029.
- Global Context: China is expected to generate $1.38 trillion in e-commerce revenue in 2025.
- User Penetration in 2025: 66.44% of Germany’s population is forecasted to engage in e-commerce in 2025.
- User Growth by 2029: By 2029, 51.8 million users are expected to be active in the German e-commerce market.
- User Penetration in 2029: User penetration is expected to hit 70.61% by 2029.
- Average Revenue per User (ARPU): In 2025, the average revenue per user in e-commerce is projected to be $2.26K.
- ARPU Growth: By 2029, ARPU is expected to grow to $2,819.39.
- Year-on-Year Revenue Change: Revenue fluctuates, but after a dip in 2022, there has been recovery, which is expected in 2025, too (13%).
- Peak Revenue Growth: The highest annual revenue growth occurred between 2020 and 2021, driven by the pandemic.
- Global Comparison: Germany ranks 6th globally in e-commerce revenue, following China, the US, Japan, and the UK.
- Market Share: Germany accounts for approximately 11.2% of its total retail market.
- Germany’s e-commerce Growth: Between 2017 and 2020, Germany’s e-commerce market grew by 57.8%.
2. Social commerce statistics
Social media isn’t just for connecting with friends anymore – it’s becoming a shopping powerhouse!
In this section, we’ll see how social media and platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok are transforming the way we shop online.
You’ll be amazed at the growth in social commerce and what the future holds!
- Revenue in 2025: Social commerce is expected to generate $7.1 billion in revenue.
- Revenue Growth: By 2028, the social commerce market will generate $9 billion in revenue.
- Revenue Growth Rate: The market indicates a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.8% from 2023 to 2028
- Annual Growth Trend: Revenue is expected to grow annually, reaching $7.01 billion in 2025 and $9 billion by 2027.
- User Growth: As of January 2025, there are 65.5 million active users on social media platforms in Germany.
- Revenue Share: Social commerce is becoming an increasingly significant portion of overall e-commerce, although it remains a smaller subset.
- Facebook: Its reach in Germany is equivalent to 29.0% of the total population. It had 24.5 million users in January 2025.
- Instagram’s Role: Instagram had 31.3 million users in January 2025.
- TikTok’s Rapid Growth: TikTok had 21.8 million users in January 2025.
- X popularity: X had 21.6 million users in January 2025.
- YouTube’s Contribution: YouTube is the most used platform – it had 65.5 million users in January 2025.
- Average time per user: Users spend the most time on TikTok – 34h 51m monthly, Android only.
3. Re-commerce (resale commerce) statistics
Who said old things don’t have value?
Re-commerce, or the resale of goods, is booming, and Germany is leading the way in giving products a second life.
Find out what categories are driving this exciting trend!
- Re-commerce Revenue: The European re-commerce market, which focuses on reselling products, was expected to grow to €120 billion by 2025.
- Re-commerce Growth Change: The growth change is 60% from 2021 to 2025.
- Re-commerce Markplaces Growth: European re-commerce marketplaces are growing 20 times faster than the overall retail market.
- Re-commerce Most Popular Marketplaces: To the top re-commerce marketplaces belong eBay, Vinted, and Back Market.
- Re-commerce Consumer Behavior: 93% of consumers said inflation makes them buy pre-owned products.
- Re-commerce Electronics: Electronics contribute significantly to the re-commerce market, accounting for 29% of total re-commerce sales in Germany.
- Re-commerce Fashion: Fashion re-commerce is projected to reach €37 billion by 2025 in Europe.
- Hobby & Leisure and Electronics Lead: Electronics and Hobby & Leisure together create 29% of total reCommerce sales – more than Fashion.
- Fashion’s Market Share Decline: Despite its cultural relevance, fashion had just 17.3% of re-commerce sales in Germany.
- Luxury Segment: Second-hand luxury fashion platforms like Vestiaire Collective, are set to grow due to customer interest in luxury goods.
- Distribution of Categories: Categories like DIY, Care products, Grocery, and Furniture contribute much less to re-commerce. The contribution of electronics, clothing, and hobbies is currently unbeatable.
- Main Reason for Re-commerce Purchases: 73% of consumers cite price as the primary reason for buying second-hand products.
- Sustainability Factor: Only 34% of consumers state sustainability as one of the main reasons for purchasing pre-owned products.
- Not About Earning Money: Among the reasons why buying/selling pre-owned goods, the desire to earn money comes in last place with only 17%.
4. Demographics of e-commerce users
Ever wondered who’s really behind all those online purchases?
In this section, we’ll break down the population details, shopping habits, and behaviors of German e-commerce users.
You’ll get a clear picture of the diverse shoppers fueling this market:
- German Population: In January 2025, the population of Germany was 84.4 million.
- Internet Users: Germany has 78.9 million internet users, representing 93.5% of the population.
- Gender Distribution: Women constitute approximately 50.6% of the population, while men make up 49.4%.
- Median Age: In January 2025, the median age of Germany’s population was 45.5 yo.
- Urbanization: 78% of Germany’s population resides in urban areas.
- Online Shopping Adoption: Approximately 99% of German adults shop online.
- Frequency of Purchase: 39% of online shoppers make purchases at least once a week.
- Growth Among High-Income Shoppers: High-income shoppers are the most significant group within German e-commerce.
- Income Segmentation: A balanced spread between low, medium, and high-income groups shows diverse user engagement across income levels.
- Mobile Devices: Shoppers are turning to mobile devices. Only 34.11% of online shoppers use computers for shopping.
Find more about German customers and online shopping in the below articles:
German customer profile – everything you need to know
How Germans go from stationary to online shopping
5. User statistics by category
From fashion to electronics, every product category has its own unique story in the world of e-commerce.
Whether you’re into beauty products or DIY projects, this section will show you where the biggest user growth is happening – and which categories are set to explode:
- User Penetration Across Categories: e-commerce user penetration is increasing in nearly all product categories.
- Electronics: The number of users in the electronics e-commerce segment is projected to reach 51.6 million by 2029.
- Fashion: Users engaging in fashion-related e-commerce are expected to increase to 40.3 million by 2029.
- Beauty & Personal Care: Users will grow from 17 million in 2017 to 50 million by 2029.
- Furniture: The number of users purchasing furniture online is anticipated to rise to 11.4 million by 2029.
- Media: The media category is expected to reach 19.7 million e-commerce users by 2029.
- DIY & Hardware: Users in the DIY and hardware store categories will grow to 15.1 million by 2029.
- Beverages: Users purchasing beverages online will reach 30.9 million by 2029.
- Eyewear: Online eyewear shoppers will increase to 26.6 million by 2029.
- Food: Food-related e-commerce users will reach 21.3 million by 2029.
- Toys & Hobby: User penetration for this category will rise to 6.2 million by 2029.
- Tobacco Products: Tobacco-related e-commerce users will reach 12.7 million by 2029.
6. Sales channels (online vs offline)
Online shopping is growing, but offline stores aren’t going away just yet.
Discover how the balance between online and offline sales is shifting and what this means for the future of retail in Germany.
Will brick-and-mortar stores survive the digital wave?
- Offline Sales: In 2025, 84.1% of total sales are projected to occur offline.
- Shift to Online: The online portion of total sales will reach 16% in 2025.
- Further Online Growth: By 2029, 18.4% of all sales will be conducted online.
- Offline Decline: The offline sales percentage will decrease to 81.6% by 2029.
- Stability of Offline Sales: Despite the rise of e-commerce, offline sales will continue to dominate through 2029.
- Offline Sales Peak: Offline sales peaked in 2017, when 89.8% of total e-commerce revenue came from offline channels.
7. Mobile and desktop usage
More and more people are turning to their phones for shopping, but where does desktop browsing stand?
Here, we’ll explore how mobile and desktop usage is changing the way Germans shop, and which device is winning the race for e-commerce dominance:
- Mobile Commerce: Mobile devices account for 63.67% of total internet traffic in Germany as of January 2025.
- Desktop Share: Desktop traffic represents 34.11% of total internet usage in Germany in the same period.
- Tablet Share: Tablet devices contribute only 2.22% to Germany’s total internet traffic.
- 12-Month Trend: Mobile traffic has shown a steady increase over the past year, maintaining its lead as the primary platform.
- Desktop Decline: Desktop usage has seen a slight decrease over the last 12 months, though it remains a significant portion of internet activity.
- Tablet Stability: Tablet usage has remained relatively flat throughout the past year, with minimal impact on overall traffic distribution.
8. Key players in German e-commerce
Who are the big names driving e-commerce in Germany?
We’re breaking down the top players like Amazon, Otto, and Zalando to see who’s leading the market.
With competition heating up, you’ll want to know who’s dominating – and who’s catching up:
- Amazon.de: Amazon continues to lead with $18,556 million ecommerce net sales annually in Germany alone.
- eBay.de: eBay.de remains a popular platform for both consumers and businesses in Germany, with 131.1 million online visits.
- Otto Group: A significant player in German e-commerce, Otto Group operates multiple online retail platforms, with annual ecommerce revenue of €12 billion.
- Zalando: Europe’s largest online fashion retailer, Zalando reported revenues of €10.5 billion in 2024.
- Kaufland Marketplace: Recognized for its contributions to sales and growth solutions, Kaufland Global Marketplace was a finalist in the E-commerce Germany Awards 2025.
- Mytheresa: This luxury fashion retailer achieved a near 10% increase in net sales in 2024, reaching €840.9 million, and anticipates further growth between 7% to 13% in 2025.
- Etsy: Germany accounted for 79 million website visits of the Etsy webpage in January 2025.
- MediaMarkt.de: Specializing in consumer electronics, MediaMarkt has established a strong online presence. It achieved 33.61 million visits in January 2025.
- OnBuy: OnBuy has expanded into Germany, offering over 35 million products and experiencing rapid growth since its launch in 2016.
Check this out:
Germany – online shopping’s growth
Top online stores in Germany by turnover
9. Return rates
Returns are a key part of online shopping, and they’re only becoming more common!
Learn how return rates are growing and what that means for retailers and consumers alike.
The battle to handle returns efficiently is on!
- Return Rate: Approximately 11% of online purchases are returned, equating to one in every nine items.
- Return Rate in 2029: This figure is expected to decrease slightly to 8.2% by 2029.
- Gender Differences: Women have a higher return rate (14%) compared to men (9%).
- Category-Specific Returns: Clothing items are the most frequently returned.
- The Second “Winner”: Shoes are the second most returned category, with 20% of consumers returning their purchases.
- Almost 50/50: 46% of respondents did not return any online purchases. It means that over half of online shoppers in Germany returned at least one item in 2024.
- Impact of Returns: Managing return rates will become a more significant challenge as e-commerce continues to grow.
Check this out:
Germans return every ninth item bought online
Understanding the impact of consumer returns
10. Sustainability in e-commerce
How is sustainability shaping e-commerce?
Sustainability is becoming a key driver in the future of e-commerce, as it influences everything from packaging to delivery methods.
See how green technology is transforming online shopping in Germany!
- Market Expansion: Germany’s green technology and sustainability market is anticipated to grow to $8,585.8 billion by 2030.
- Consumer Priority: In 2025, 34% of German consumers consider sustainability a primary factor in their purchasing decisions, influencing e-commerce trends.
- Practices Adoption: Approximately 44% of German businesses recognize automated energy consumption control, enabled by digitalization, as a key opportunity for sustainability.
- Delivery Initiatives: In 2025, Amazon ordered 200 fully-electric eActros 600 heavy trucks from Daimler for use in Germany and the UK, marking its largest electric truck order to date.
- Packaging Adoption: By 2025, 40% of German e-commerce retailers plan to adopt sustainable packaging solutions to meet consumer demand for eco-friendly practices.
11. Technology in e-commerce
And what about technology?
Discover the latest innovations in Germany’s e-commerce landscape and see how businesses are leveraging cutting-edge tech to stay ahead!
- AR & VR Market Growth: Germany’s AR and VR market revenue is projected to reach $2.3 billion in 2025.
- AI Market Revenue: The Artificial Intelligence (AI) market in Germany is projected to be $10.37 billion in 2025.
- AI Market Size Comparison: The largest AI market globally will be the United States, with a projected market size of $66.21 billion in 2025.
- Growth Rate of AR & VR: The annual growth rate (CAGR 2025-2029) for the AR & VR market in Germany is expected to be 7.53%, leading to a market volume of $3.0 billion by 2029.
- Largest Segment in AR & VR: VR Hardware will be the largest segment, with a revenue of $710.5 million in 2025.
- User Penetration in AR & VR: The user penetration rate for AR & VR in Germany will be 58.9% in 2025.
- AR Software Revenue: The AR software segment in Germany is expected to generate $686.6 million in 2025.
- AR Software ARPU: The ARPU in Germany’s AR software market is projected to be $14.0 in 2025.
- AR Software Market User Growth: By 2029, the number of users in the AR software market in Germany is expected to be 50.4 million.
- AI Integration in E-Commerce: More than 50% of German companies are expected to increase investments in generative AI.
Conclusion
As e-commerce continues to grow, the statistics paint a clear picture: Germany’s online shopping landscape is only getting bigger and more dynamic. From skyrocketing revenue figures to the expanding influence of social commerce, the opportunities are endless. However, businesses must keep up with changing user behaviors, mobile shopping trends, and an increasing demand for efficient return policies.
The future is digital, and staying informed about these shifts can make all the difference in standing out in Germany’s market.
