{"id":84425,"date":"2022-05-17T07:13:00","date_gmt":"2022-05-17T07:13:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sellerlogic.com\/blog\/amazon-and-online-shopping-in-germany-how-powerful-the-e-commerce-giant-is\/"},"modified":"2025-12-04T14:49:16","modified_gmt":"2025-12-04T14:49:16","slug":"amazon-and-online-shopping-in-germany-how-powerful-the-e-commerce-giant-is","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sellerlogic.com\/en\/blog\/amazon-and-online-shopping-in-germany-how-powerful-the-e-commerce-giant-is\/","title":{"rendered":"Amazon and Online Shopping in Germany: How Powerful the E-Commerce Giant Is"},"content":{"rendered":"

E-commerce in Germany is omnipresent. The Covid years have accelerated the entire industry by more than a decade, and the effects of the pandemic are still changing the way businesses operate and grow. Consumers also research, buy, and pay for products differently today than they did ten years ago. One thing, however, has remained the same for years: the biggest player in the industry is Amazon. Online shopping begins for many German customers on Amazon.de and often ends there as well.<\/p>

Amazon Unchallenged Leader<\/h2>

The competition can hardly keep up with the company’s growth. A first glance at the largest B2C online shops in the country highlights the dominance of the online giant in the German market. Amazon generates more revenue than the following six places combined:<\/p>

Place<\/td>Shop<\/td>Net Revenue 2021 (in million \u20ac)<\/td><\/tr>
1<\/td>amazon.de<\/td>15,680.6<\/td><\/tr>
2<\/td>otto.de<\/td>5,124.0<\/td><\/tr>
3<\/td>mediamarkt.de<\/td>2,544.0<\/td><\/tr>
4<\/td>zalando.de<\/td>2,515.0<\/td><\/tr>
5<\/td>ikea.com<\/td>1,747.0<\/td><\/tr>
6<\/td>saturn.de<\/td>1,340.0<\/td><\/tr>
7<\/td>apple.com<\/td>1,190.0<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>
Source: EHI Retail Institute<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>

Third-party sellers as a key factor<\/h2>

However, this is not solely the success of Amazon itself. Online shopping in Germany is also shaped by third-party sellers who offer their products through a marketplace. The revenue of such third-party sellers also grew significantly \u2013 from 29% to 34%, while in the years 2019 and 2020, the revenue of amazon.de remained at 19%.<\/p>

\"Online
Source: statista.de<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>

Amazon clearly belongs to the few companies that were able to take advantage of the crisis. This is evidenced, among other things, by the investments in expanding warehouse space and logistics centers. In 2019, Amazon achieved a global revenue increase of $47.63 billion compared to the previous year. Then in 2020, the major upheaval came with Covid, resulting in an increase of $105.54 billion, followed by another strong revenue growth of $83.76 billion in 2021.<\/p>

For the first time, revenue decreased slightly in 2022 post-pandemic. However, in 2023, Amazon was able to increase its revenue again compared to the previous year, both in Germany ($37.59 billion) and globally ($574.79 billion).<\/p>

\"Amazon
Revenue of Amazon in Germany vs. worldwide from 2010 to 2023 in billion US dollars. Source: statista.de<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>

Growth in the Future \u2013 Forecasts<\/h3>
\"Trade<\/figure>

Every year, the German Trade Association (HDE) publishes the Online Monitor<\/a> in collaboration with the Institute for Retail Research (IFH) Cologne. After the significant growth during the pandemic years, Amazon and the online shopping sector in Germany recorded a slight decline in 2022 for the first time. At least when only the previous year is considered. Compared to the online revenues generated before the Corona crisis, the increase is still over 42%. And for 2024, the industry expects growth of about three percent again. This is driven by increasing internet usage, social commerce, and new technologies such as augmented reality, which continue to align the online experience with the offline experience.<\/p>

Third-party sellers look positively to the future<\/h4>

According to the The State of the Amazon Seller Report<\/a>, most Amazon sellers also look positively to the future in 2024. 58% of all companies are profitable within a year of starting on Amazon, and more than half (54%) of brands and retailers have profit margins of over 20%.<\/p>

Nevertheless, there are certainly problems that need to be overcome. For smaller Amazon sellers, the main challenges are to\u2026<\/p>

  1. to generate customer reviews,<\/li>
  2. to improve existing products or develop new products and<\/li>
  3. to try out new marketing tactics.<\/li><\/ol><\/div>

    Enterprise companies and manufacturers are concerned about \u2026<\/p>

    1. the branding of the company and the products (including positioning, packaging, marketing, etc.)<\/li>
    2. the expansion of their market share and<\/li>
    3. the number of customer reviews.<\/li><\/ol><\/div>

      What is common to both groups is that they are struggling with rising costs, particularly in the areas of advertising (38% of respondents), shipping (37%), and manufacturing (35%). However, compared to previous years, fewer sellers fear problems with rising costs.<\/p>

      This also aligns with the fact that most sellers no longer sell exclusively on Amazon. The online shopping sector in Germany has now become more professional. Most online retailers have recognized that an omnichannel strategy with at least one additional sales channel can reduce economic risk and even increase profit. The three most popular platforms worldwide are eBay, Shopify, and Walmart, followed by Etsy.<\/p>

      \"Omnichannel
      Source: The State of the Amazon Seller Report<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>

      Many Amazon sellers also have expansion plans for 2024. At the forefront are Walmart, Shopify, and eBay. However, some sellers also want to implement social commerce with TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook.<\/p>

      Amazon = Online Shopping in Germany: Buyers Often Prefer the Marketplace<\/h2>

      Different statistics on Amazon’s success<\/a> clearly show that the e-commerce giant not only generates higher revenues in Germany but also records steady customer growth compared to its competitors. A survey by IFH Cologne from 2021<\/a> shows: Those who shop online also buy from Amazon. According to the market research company \u2026<\/p>