Germany - eCommerce (2024)

FAQs

What is the answer to the question what is e-commerce? ›

Ecommerce or "electronic commerce" is the trading of goods and services online. The internet allows individuals and businesses to buy and sell an increasing amount of physical goods, digital goods, and services electronically.

Germany is Europe's e-commerce leader offering a myriad of opportunities for international online retailers and service providers alike. Ninety-five percent of Internet users in Germany 16 years of age and older purchase goods and services online.

By law, consumers have the right to return online purchases within 14 days without explanation, and there is indeed a high product return rate. Websites and online stores are expected to be in German language. The most popular products purchased online include clothing, electronics, tickets and books.

Revenue in the eCommerce Market is projected to reach US$98.31bn in 2024. Revenue is expected to show an annual growth rate (CAGR 2024-2029) of 8.23%, resulting in a projected market volume of US$146.00bn by 2029.

According to a 2023 NYU Stern School of Business study, you can make around 42.78% in gross profit margins and 0.64% in net ecommerce profit margins from your online business. But bear in mind that these are ballpark figures. Your final profit will depend on the following: Kinds and prices of products you sell.

Visits to amazon.com grew from 615 million annual visitors in 2008, to more than 2 billion per month in 2022. The e-commerce platform is the 14th most visited website in the world.

Fashion sells best in German eCommerce. The category consists of apparel, bags & accessories and footwear, and accounted for total revenues of US$28.3 billion in 2023. Hobby & Leisure is a close second, with US$27.5 billion in revenues. In third place is Electronics, which reached US$24.3 billion.

Top eCommerce stores in Germany

amazon.de leads this market with revenues of US$17,068.4 million in 2023. Followed by otto.de with sales of US$5,553.8 million and then zalando.de with sales of US$2,714.8 million.

Online shopping is omnipresent and part of our everyday life in Germany. 94 percent of all Internet users shop online which equals about 55 million German citizens. 66 percent of retailers sell their products both stationary and online – 25 percent exclusively stationary and 6 percent exclusively online.

Coins; banknotes; currency notes, including paper money; securities of any kind payable to bearer; traveler's checks; platinum, gold, and silver; precious stones; jewelry; watches; and other valuable articles are prohibited in Priority Mail Express International shipments to Germany. See Observation 1 above.

Do I need to register my Shopify business in Germany? ›

If you intend to sell to countries in the EU, then you might need to register with tax authorities in those regions or you can register for One-Stop Shop. The process varies depending on where your business is based and where you sell, and on individual government requirements.

Germany's 2023 AOV was US$109.6, showing a recovery after a drop in 2022. From 2020's US$106.1, the German eCommerce sector indicates a resilient market with recovering consumer confidence.

As of April 2024, Shopify was the leading e-commerce software provider in Germany, as it accounted for a quarter of the market. Ecwid was the second-biggest provider, being used by 20 percent of e-commerce websites in the country, while Wix Stores reached a market share of 15 percent.

E-commerce (electronic commerce) is the exchange of goods and services and the transmission of funds and data over the internet. E-commerce relies on technology and digital platforms, including websites, mobile apps and social media to make buying and selling possible.

Answer with explanation: The correct answer is option c. Electronic commerce is defined as selling and purchasing goods and services using the internet.

E-commerce is the buying and selling of goods and services over the internet. It is conducted over computers, tablets, smartphones, and other smart devices.

E-commerce, put simply, is the practice of buying and selling goods or services using the Internet. It has gained immense popularity as a way of doing business because it's convenient and accessible at the same time.