According to PayNXT360’s, B2C Ecommerce market in Germany is expected to grow by 10.96% on annual basis to reach US$58.4 billion in 2023. The Medium to long-term growth story of B2C Ecommerce industry in Germany promises to be attractive . The B2C Ecommerce is expected to grow steadily over the forecast period, recording a CAGR of 8.95% during 2023-2027. The country’s B2C Ecommerce Gross Merchandise Value will increase from US$52.7 billion in 2022 to reach US$82.3 billion by 2027. The online shopping industry is projected to record strong growth in the German market over the next five years. The growth in the B2C e-commerce industry will be partly driven by the shift in consumer behavior that has arisen after the global pandemic outbreak. The need to hunt for bargains amid the current macroeconomic scenario is also projected to drive new consumers to online channels.

While the long-term perspective of the German B2C e-commerce market remains strong, the industry is expected to experience a decline in consumer spending, across different sales channels, including marketplaces, social platforms, and direct-to-consumer. In H1 2023, PayNXT360 expects the surging cost of living and rising inflation, among other macroeconomic factors, to keep affecting industry growth in Germany.

E-commerce order volume declined significantly during the year-end shopping season

German online retailers have been one of the most affected by the decline in consumer spending. With inflation and energy prices shaking up the monthly budget of consumers, online sales have reported a significant decline even during the year-end shopping season in the country.

  • According to a report from the German Federal Association for eCommerce (bevh), online sales dipped 16.8% between October 1 and November 30, when compared to the same period last year. Clothing remained the worst affected segment with sales declining 28.1%, followed by entertainment at 19.5% during the period.
  • For e-commerce marketplaces, sales declined by 9.4% in Germany. Direct-to-consumer retailers reported a decline of 23.4%, whereas multichannel retailers experienced a decrease of 29.5%.

Apart from declining consumer spending, e-commerce retailers are struggling because of increased procurement costs, logistics, and increased packaging costs. These firms are expected to remain under pressure from the short to medium-term perspective, as consumer sentiment is projected to further worsen in H1 2023.

New food delivery firms are entering the competitive market and raising funding rounds to expand their presence in Germany

The online food delivery segment has become increasingly competitive in the German market. The industry has the presence of several regional and domestic firms competing for customers amid the current macroeconomic environment. With new players entering the segment through their innovative business models, PayNXT360 expects the competition to further intensify. These firms are also raising funding rounds to expand their presence across the country.

  • In December 2022, Circus, the Germany-based food delivery firm, announced that the firm had raised ?11 to drive innovation in the sector and expand its presence in more German cities. Through its innovative business model, the firm is seeking to address various challenges in the food delivery market, including expensive, unhealthy, and unsustainable. The firm has a network of drivers and micro-kitchen hubs. With over 100 dishes on the menu, starting at ?3, Circus currently enables customers in Hamburg to order their food and get them cooked and delivered as they want.

While the food delivery segment is currently undergoing a period of consolidation, innovative business models and startups with strong fundamentals are projected to keep attracting venture capital and private equity dollars over the next three to four years.

Merger and acquisition activities in the grocery delivery segment are projected to further increase in 2023

The quick commerce segment has undergone a major consolidation period in 2022 and the trend is projected to further continue in 2023, as economic uncertainties are expected to persist in H1 2023. Consequently, PayNXT360 expects merger and acquisition activities to continue in the segment from the short-term perspective.

  • In December 2022, Getir, one of the leading players in the grocery delivery segment, announced that the firm is acquiring Germany-based delivery service Gorillas. This is a major consolidation deal in the on-demand grocery delivery space. Both of these firms announced major layoffs in 2022 to cut down costs. Because there is an overlap in the operations of these firms, more layoffs might be announced in 2023.

In 2022, Gorillas also announced that it will focus on a handful of markets such as the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, the United States, and Germany. These are also the markets where Getir has operations. In addition to these markets, the firm also has a presence in France, Spain, Italy, and Portugal.

This report provides a detailed data centric analysis of B2C ecommerce market dynamics, covering over 100 KPIs in Germany. It details market opportunity across key B2C verticals - Retail Shopping, Travel & Hospitality, Online Food Service, Media and Entertainment, Healthcare and Wellness, and Technology Products and Services. It provides market share by key players across key verticals along with sales channels (Platform to Consumer, Direct to Consumer, Consumer to Consumer). In addition, it provides spending pattern by payment instruments along with a snapshot of consumer behaviour in Germany.

The report also covers niche trends such as market size by live streaming engagement model and cross border purchases. It also covers ecommerce spend share by operating systems, device (mobile vs desktop) and cities.

In addition, to detailed data-centric analysis, this report provides analyst commentary on key trends, drivers, strategies, and innovations in the B2C ecommerce industry in Germany.