E-commerce Germany: €103.4 billion in 2020

Germany is one of the most mature e-commerce markets in Europe. It is expected that the e-commerce in Germany will be worth €103.4 billion at the end of 2020. This is an increase of 10% compared to last year, according to RetailX. Last year, the e-commerce in Germany was worth €94 billion.

Consumer adoption in Germany has always been high. Last year, 84% of the online population has purchased a product or service online. At the end of 2020, this percentage is expected to grow with 1%. In addition, 95% of the German population is expected to be online this year.

E-commerce growth

Over the last couple of years, the e-commerce in Germany experienced a quick growth. In 2013, the e-commerce in Germany was worth only €32 billion. The biggest growth took place in the year 2017. The e-commerce grew from €44.2 billion in 2016 to €78.1 billion. Last year, the main drivers of online purchases were 'direct delivery to my home' (67%), followed by 'available round the clock' (66%), and 'more convenient way of shopping' (61%).

Devices used for online shopping

According to RetailX, laptops are the most popular devices for shopping online. 58% of online shoppers on Germany say they have used a laptop in the past year to purchase something online. In addition, 49% of online shoppers in Germany say they used a smartphone, while 42% say they used the desktop PC for online shopping. The most products which are purchased online fall within the category clothing and shoes (58%). The least products which are purchased online fall within the category groceries (18%).