eCommerce Market in Germany 2027: Size, Shoppers, Competition and Market Entry

Germany is Europe’s second-largest e-commerce market, worth more than €90 billion a year, and it is growing again after the post-pandemic slump. But the market is changing shape: marketplaces handle more than half of all online sales, Asian platforms are taking share in fashion, everyday goods are the fastest-growing category, and a third of shoppers already ask AI chatbots before they buy. This overview covers the size and outlook of the German e-commerce market for 2027, who buys what, who the competitors are, which sales and marketing channels work, and what foreign companies need to enter the market.

German e-commerce market size and outlook for 2027

According to the HDE Online-Monitor 2026, online sales in Germany grew 3.9% to €92.3 billion (net) in 2025, faster than physical retail (+2.9%). The HDE expects another 4.3% in 2026, to €96.3 billion. The e-commerce association bevh, which measures gross sales of goods only, reports €83.1 billion for 2025 (+3.2%) and forecasts 3.8% growth for 2026. The two figures differ because of their definitions, but both show the same trend: steady growth of around 4% a year.

Official forecasts for 2027 are usually published in the first half of the year. If growth continues at around 4%, online sales would reach about €100 billion in 2027. Higher wages, rising delivery costs and cautious consumer sentiment are the main risks; cheaper imports from Asia and growth in everyday goods are the main drivers.

2026 in review: what changed in German e-commerce

• Growth returned. After two flat years, online sales grew faster than total retail.
• Marketplaces kept gaining. 56.7% of online sales ran through platforms in 2025.
• Asian platforms hit a record. Temu, Shein and AliExpress reached 5.3% of online sales in Q2 2026, growing more than 20% while the market grew 5.1% (bevh). Shein entered Germany’s top 10 online shops.
• Social commerce arrived. TikTok Shop launched in Germany on 31 March 2025; one year later, 15% of German online shoppers had bought something there (NielsenIQ).
• Second-hand went mainstream. The second-hand segment tracked in the HDE Online-Monitor reached about €10.5 billion in 2025, up 5.3%.
• Imports got more expensive. The EU’s €3 duty per item on low-value parcels started on 1 July 2026, followed by a €2 handling fee per item from November.

What Germans buy online

Consumer electronics and fashion are still the two largest categories, together 44% of online sales in 2025, down from more than half in 2017. The fastest growth is in everyday goods: food and drugstore products grew 10.4% in 2025, more than two and a half times the market average. For brands, that means:

• Fashion faces the toughest price competition from Asian platforms and the highest return rates.
• Electronics is dominated by Amazon, MediaMarkt/Saturn and specialists; margins are thin.
• Health, beauty, food and household goods are where online share is still growing fastest, and where subscriptions and repeat orders work well.
• Home, garden, DIY and pet supplies are strong for older, higher-spending shoppers.

Who shops online in Germany

• Older shoppers drive growth. The number of online shoppers aged 55 and over grew 3.1% in 2025, faster than any other age group. They value clear information, reliable delivery and phone or email support.
• AI is changing product research. 35% of consumers use AI chatbots to research products, and more than 20% regularly rely on them for purchase decisions (HDE). Clear product data and reviews help brands appear in those answers.
• Trust decides. German shoppers check the Impressum, reviews, trust marks and delivery terms before buying, and prefer familiar payment methods.
• Returns are part of the deal. Around one in four B2C parcels is returned, mostly fashion. See our e-commerce fulfilment guide for Germany.

Competitive landscape: Amazon, marketplaces and Asian platforms

The German market is highly concentrated. Amazon accounts for about 63% of online retail including its marketplace (HDE Online-Monitor 2025), and the ten largest online shops account for 38.8% of the revenue of the top 1,000 (EHI). The largest shops by revenue are Amazon.de, otto.de and zalando.de; Shein entered the top 10 for the first time.

The large shops are growing about 8% a year, while the rest of the top 1,000 grow only around 1%. For brands, the practical consequence is to combine a strong own shop with the right marketplaces rather than relying on one channel. Compare the platforms in our top 30 online marketplaces in Europe.

Sales and marketing channels that work in Germany

Payments in 2027: invoice, PayPal and new credit rules

PayPal (28.7% of online sales) and payment on invoice (26.1%) remain Germany’s favourite online payment methods, followed by direct debit and cards (EHI). The European payment app Wero opened for e-commerce in 2025. From 20 November 2026, the revised EU Consumer Credit Directive brings most buy-now-pay-later products under consumer credit rules, including affordability checks and cost disclosure. Simple interest-free invoice payment with a short term can fall outside the rules, so check with your payment provider how your “Kauf auf Rechnung” option is affected in 2027.

How a foreign company can enter the German e-commerce market

You don’t need a German company to sell online in Germany. Many brands start from their home country or another EU country. What you do need:

1. VAT set-up. Cross-border sales to German consumers can be declared through the EU One-Stop Shop (OSS). Once you store stock in Germany, you usually need a German VAT registration. See EU VAT: OSS and IOSS explained.
2. Product registrations. Packaging (LUCID, plus an authorised representative in Germany if you have no German branch), electrical goods and batteries need registration before the first sale. Our fulfilment guide has the full legal checklist.
3. A German-ready shop. German-language content and customer service, a full Impressum, German terms and withdrawal information, the online withdrawal button required since 19 June 2026, GDPR-compliant cookie consent and, unless you are a micro-enterprise, an accessible shop under the Accessibility Act (BFSG) in force since 28 June 2025.
4. Local payment methods: at least PayPal, invoice or a buy-now-pay-later option, and cards.
5. Local delivery and returns: next-day delivery and free or simple returns, ideally from stock in or near Germany. Non-EU brands avoid the €3 duty and €2 handling fee per item by importing in bulk. See shipping from China to Europe.
6. A channel plan: start with Amazon.de or a category marketplace to build reviews and demand, then grow your own shop with search, price comparison and social commerce.

German e-commerce trends for 2027

1. Steady growth of around 4%, led by everyday goods, health and beauty.
2. Price pressure from Asia continues, but €5 in fees per item on direct parcels helps sellers with EU stock.
3. AI-assisted shopping becomes normal, shifting discovery from search results to chatbot answers.
4. Social commerce grows, with TikTok Shop maturing as a sales channel.
5. Second-hand and refurbished products keep gaining, alongside the right to repair and replaceable batteries from 2027.
6. Costs rise: the minimum wage goes up to €14.60 on 1 January 2027, which feeds into fulfilment and delivery prices.
7. Payment rules change: buy-now-pay-later falls under consumer credit law from late 2026.

Read next: E-commerce fulfilment in Germany 2027 · Warehouse market in Germany · Best parcel carriers in Germany · Warehouse and fulfilment in Germany

Frequently asked questions