The size of the German e-commerce market in 2022 decreased by 5% and amounted to 101.7 billion euros, according to a report by the German Federal Association for Electronic Commerce (BEVH). At the same time, online sales of physical goods brought to stores immediately 9% less revenue than a year earlier to 90.1 billion euros.
BEVH President Gero Furchheim notes that buyers feel insecure about the future, so their consumer ability is reduced.
"The marked reluctance to buy, especially things that are not needed immediately, shows people's current insecurity combined with the increased cost of living," he says.
However, in comparison with the results of the pre-pandemic 2019, the progress is significant. Online sales of physical goods grew by 25%, while digital services fell by more than 40%.
Online shopping is now giving German shoppers a choice never before seen, Furchheim said. At the same time, the accessibility and transparency of online trading are highly valued by customers, and their satisfaction with online shopping is higher than ever.
"If underlying conditions and consumer sentiment improve, e-commerce will continue to grow at an above-average pace," says the president of BEVH.
