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 (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 2024: e-commerce revenue is expected to hit $98.31 billion.
- Revenue Growth Rate: A 9.6% increase in revenue is expected in 2024 compared to 2023.
- Projected Revenue in 2029: The market is expected to reach $146 billion by 2029.
- Global Context: China is expected to generate $1.47 trillion in e-commerce revenue in 2024, the highest globally.
- User Penetration in 2024: The number of users in Germany will reach 44.7 million in 2024.
- User Penetration Rate: 62.7% of Germany’s population will be engaging in e-commerce by 2024.
- 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: The penetration rate will rise to 70.6% by 2029.
- Average Revenue per User (ARPU): In 2024, the average revenue per user in e-commerce is projected to be $2.20K.
- ARPU Growth: By 2029, ARPU is expected to grow to $2.82K.
- Year-on-Year Revenue Change: Revenue fluctuates, but after a dip in 2022, recovery is expected in 2024.
- Peak Revenue Growth: The highest annual revenue growth occurred between 2020 and 2021, driven by the pandemic.
- Global Comparison: Germany ranks 5th globally in e-commerce revenue, following China, the US, Japan, and the UK.
- Global Share: Germany accounts for approximately 4.7% of the global e-commerce market in 2024.
- Germany’s e-commerce Growth: Between 2017 and 2020, Germany’s e-commerce market grew by 57.8%, reaching a value of $84.87 billion in 2020.
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 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 2024: Social commerce is expected to generate $6.21 billion in revenue.
- Revenue Growth: By 2028, the social commerce market will generate $9.02 billion in revenue.
- Annual Growth Trend: Revenue is expected to grow annually, reaching $7.04 billion in 2025 and $8.35 billion by 2027.
- User Growth: Social commerce will reach 18.8 million users by 2028.
- Revenue Share: Social commerce is becoming an increasingly significant portion of overall e-commerce, although it remains a smaller subset.
- Top Platform for Revenue: Facebook leads in revenue generation for social commerce, with $2.9 billion projected by 2028.
- Instagram’s Role: Instagram follows closely behind, with projected revenue of $2.3 billion by 2028.
- TikTok’s Rapid Growth: TikTok is expected to generate $2.1 billion in social commerce revenue by 2028, up from $1.1 billion in 2023.
- Pinterest Revenue: Pinterest will see moderate growth, contributing $0.6 billion to social commerce revenue by 2028.
- YouTube’s Contribution: YouTube’s social commerce revenue will grow to $0.5 billion by 2028.
- Other Platforms: Other social commerce platforms combined will generate $0.4 billion by 2028.
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 how categories like electronics, fashion, and furniture are driving this exciting trend!
- Re-commerce Growth: The Re-commerce market, which focuses on reselling products, is expected to grow significantly.
- Re-commerce Electronics: Revenue from electronics resale will grow to $2.5 billion by 2029.
- Re-commerce Fashion: Fashion will be a dominant Re-commerce category, generating $6.9 billion by 2029.
- Re-commerce Furniture: The furniture resale market will generate $0.6 billion by 2029.
- Re-commerce Toys & Hobby: Revenue in this category will rise to 1.1 billion by 2029.
- Fashion as Leader: Fashion resale has the highest market share among Re-commerce categories, expected to reach $6.9 billion in revenue by 2029.
- Electronics Segment: Re-commerce Electronics will be the second-highest earner, with revenue growing to $2.5 billion by 2029.
- Furniture Growth: Furniture resale shows steady but slow growth, reaching $0.6 billion by 2029.
- Toys & Hobby Growth: This category will see moderate growth, achieving $1.1 billion by 2029.
- Revenue Increase: Across all categories, Re-commerce revenue has been growing annually and is expected to continue this trend through 2029.
- Re-commerce User Penetration: Users in the Re-commerce electronics segment will grow from 2 million in 2020 to 5 million by 2029.
- Growth in Re-commerce Fashion: The fashion resale segment saw a 41% growth in revenue between 2020 and 2024.
- Electronics Re-commerce ARPU: ARPU for Re-commerce electronics will grow from $350.20 in 2019 to $496.80 by 2029.
4. Demographics of e-commerce users
Ever wondered who’s really behind all those online purchases?
In this section, we’ll break down the income levels, shopping habits, and behaviors of German e-commerce users.
You’ll get a clear picture of the diverse shoppers fueling this market:
- Income Distribution (2023):
- High-income users make up 36% of the e-commerce market in Germany.
- Medium-income users account for 30.7%.
- Low-income users represent 33.3%.
- 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.
Check this out:
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: User penetration will grow from 25.7 million users in 2017 to 51.6 million by 2029.
- Fashion: Fashion-related e-commerce users will increase from 17 million in 2017 to 40.3 million by 2029.
- Beauty & Personal Care: Users will grow from 17 million in 2017 to 50 million by 2029.
- Furniture: Users of e-commerce platforms for furniture purchases will rise to 11.4 million by 2029.
- Media: The media category is also growing, expected to reach 19.7 million 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 2024, 85.4% of total sales are projected to occur offline.
- Shift to Online: The online portion of total sales will reach 14.6% in 2024.
- 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 e-commerce is steadily rising, with an increasing number of shoppers using smartphones and tablets.
- Desktop Commerce Decline: Desktop commerce is slowly declining as more users shift to mobile shopping.
- Projected Mobile Dominance: By 2029, mobile shopping will likely be the dominant method for online purchases.
- Mobile ARPU Growth: By 2029, ARPU for mobile users in Germany is expected to exceed $2.50K, a significant increase from $1.27K in 2021.
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’s Market Share: Amazon accounted for 47% of e-commerce revenue in Germany in 2022.
- Top Competitors: Kaufland and Otto each held 5% of the market in 2022.
- Smaller Competitors: MediaMarkt and Zalando both controlled 3% of the market in 2022.
- Apple’s Market Share: Apple holds a 2% share of the German e-commerce market.
- Other Brands: A diverse range of smaller companies control the remaining 35% of the market.
- Amazon’s Influence: Amazon continues to dominate the e-commerce market with nearly half of the total market share.
- Zalando’s Growth: Zalando’s market share in the German e-commerce market grew by 1% between 2020 and 2022, reaching 3% in 2022.
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 in 2024: Returns will account for 7.2% of total e-commerce revenue.
- Return Rate in 2029: This figure is expected to rise slightly to 8.2% by 2029.
- 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. Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) by category
How much is each shopper really worth?
The Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) tells us which categories are generating the most value from shoppers.
From electronics to fashion, see which industries are pulling in the most profit per customer!
- Electronics: ARPU for electronics is projected to remain high at $496.80 by 2029.
- Fashion: Fashion ARPU will grow to $413.70 by 2029.
- Furniture: Furniture ARPU will increase to $230.00 by 2029.
- Toys & Hobby: ARPU for this category will rise to $179.70 by 2029.
- Eyewear: ARPU for eyewear will reach $229.10 by 2029.
- Beauty & Personal Care: The ARPU for this category will grow to $0.67 by 2029.
- Eyewear ARPU Increase: The ARPU for eyewear in Germany will grow by 53.4% between 2020 and 2029, reaching $229.10.
- Media ARPU: The ARPU for media-related e-commerce in Germany is projected to be $0.78 by 2029, up from $0.67 in 2024.
11. Revenue by category
Which product categories are making the most money in e-commerce?
From electronics to beauty, each category has its own success story.
See the revenue breakdown to see which industries are thriving and what’s driving their growth. No matter if you’re a shopper or a seller, you won’t want to miss these numbers:
- Electronics Revenue: Electronics will generate the highest revenue, reaching $145.98 billion by 2029.
- Beauty & Personal Care: This category will contribute significantly, with revenue expected to grow steadily.
- Fashion: Fashion will also be a major contributor, growing to substantial levels by 2029.
- Food: The food category shows steady growth, contributing to the overall e-commerce revenue rise.
- Tobacco Products: Tobacco-related sales will continue to increase in the coming years.
Note: the statistics mentioned in the article come from Statista’s Market Insights on eCommerce in Germany.
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 this competitive market.
