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~ exporto ~

SELLING ONLINE FROM

THE UK TO GERMANY

WHAT BRITISH RETAILERS

SHOULD CONSIDER

Text: Katharina Knoop // Photos: exporto

How do British online retailers tap into the German e-commerce market without any extra
effort? In this blog article, we take a look at the current regulations regarding the trade of
goods between the UK and Germany and show how the customer experience should ideally

look like for German e-commerce customers.

hy is cross-border e-commerce from the over local shopping.
UK to Germany worth it? • German e-commerce customers prefer to shop on
WDespite Brexit, business relations between the international marketplaces.
United Kingdom and the European Union are still intact.
The British remain a member of the EU single market and What do German e-commerce customers value?
the European customs union. However, different trading The fact that German e-commerce customers prefer
conditions apply. While European countries enjoy duty- international marketplaces when shopping online is
free access to one another, the export of goods from the primarily due to one thing: they shop with security in
UK to Germany is subject to customs regulations. This and mind. E-commerce stores such as Amazon, Zalando or
many other changes make exports abroad more difficult. eBay enjoy a high level of trust and are reliable. They
also meet the criteria that German e-commerce shoppers
However, the challenges associated with leaving the expect from e-commerce shops:
EU are no reason to stop cross-border e-commerce to
Germany. Even three years after the transition phase from • Affordable prices
a European member state to a third country, Germans are • Free shipping for deliveries
still keen to buy from the UK: in Q3 2023, Germany was • Free returns
the UK ‘ s second-largest trading partner with a trading • A large selection of products
share of 8.3%. Up to this point, total exports to Germany • Good personal experiences
over the last four quarters amounted to 60.4 billion
Pounds. Clothing, shoes, accessories, but also electronic devices,
books and audiobooks are the most popular goods.
In general, the e-commerce market in Germany is There are also market opportunities to be tapped in the
currently on a growth path. According to Statista forecasts, sustainable product segment. As a sustainable online store,
Germany is even set to overtake the UK in terms of you can position yourself successfully on the German
e-commerce sales by 2025, making it the leader within market and fulfil the wishes of consumers there.
the EU. Among other factors, this is a result of Germans’
changing purchasing behaviour - and e-commerce retailers What needs to be considered for cross-border
from the UK can benefit from this, according to the latest e-commerce from the UK to Germany?
research from Bitkom: With the decision on Brexit, the UK has lost its status
as an EU member state and also the benefits of intra-
• One third of Germans shop online at least once a Community trade between EU countries. This has an
week. impact on cross-border business processes. As an online
• 44 percent of Germans prefer online shopping retailer based in the UK, the following rules and aspects

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