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E-Commerce & Online Auctions in Germany Industry Data and Analysis
Online retail is characterised by intense competition within the industry, which is likely to intensify in the future as more players enter the market. The competition between individual providers in terms of customer acquisition and retention across multiple sales channels is intensified by the lack of physical proximity to customers in online retail. In the period from 2020 to 2025, sales in the sector increased by an average of 4% per year. Due to high energy prices and inflation, the consumer climate deteriorated in 2022 and has only slowly improved since then. This in turn has had an impact on the sales development of the retail sector as a whole and thus also on mail order and online retail, which even recorded a small decline in sales in 2023. Sales growth of 3.5% to €151.2 billion is expected for 2025 due to the slowdown in inflation. Despite the considerable fluctuations in sales, the profit margin of online retail has remained relatively stable in recent years. Only in 2021 did the profit margin increase significantly, as industry sales grew faster than costs.
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What's included in this industry analysis
IBISWorld's research coverage on the E-Commerce & Online Auctions industry in Germany includes market sizing, forecasting, data and analysis from 2016-2031. The most recent publication was released February 2026.
About this industry
What's this industry report about?
The E-Commerce & Online Auctions industry in Germany operates under the WZ industry code G47.91DE. This sector includes the retail of clothing, electronic and household appliances, furniture and other goods that are not sold in stores, at points of sale or at markets, but by mail order and online. Furthermore, teleshopping and internet auctions also fall under the industry definition. Related terms covered in the E-Commerce & Online Auctions industry in Germany include cloud computing, firewall, multichannel, internet pure player, pop-up store and touchpoint.
What's included in this industry?
Products and services covered in E-Commerce & Online Auctions industry in Germany include Clothing, Electronics and telecommunications equipment and Computers and accessories.
What companies are included in this industry?
Companies covered in the E-Commerce & Online Auctions industry in Germany include Amazon.com, Inc., Otto GmbH & Co. KGaA and Zalando SE.
Performance
What's included in the Performance chapter?
The Performance chapter covers detailed analysis, datasets, detailed current performance, sources of volatility and an outlook with forecasts for the E-Commerce & Online Auctions industry in Germany.
Questions answered in this chapter include what's driving current industry performance, what influences industry volatility, how do successful businesses overcome volatility, what's driving the industry outlook. This analysis is supported with data and statistics on industry revenues, costs, profits, businesses and employees.
Products & Markets
What's included in the Products and Markets chapter?
The Products and Markets chapter covers detailed products and service segmentation and analysis of major markets for the for the E-Commerce & Online Auctions industry in Germany.
Questions answered in this chapter include how are the industry's products and services performing, what are innovations in industry products and services, what products or services do successful businesses offer and what's influencing demand from the industry's markets. This includes data and statistics on industry revenues by product and service segmentation and major markets.
Geographic Breakdown
What's included in the Geographic Breakdown chapter?
The Geographic Breakdown chapter covers detailed analysis and datasets on regional performance of the E-Commerce & Online Auctions industry in Germany.
Questions answered in this chapter include where are industry businesses located and how do businesses use location to their advantage. This includes data and statistics on industry revenues by location.
Competitive Forces
What's included in the Competitive Forces chapter?
The Competitive Forces chapter covers the concentration, barriers to entry and supplier and buyer profiles in the E-Commerce & Online Auctions industry in Germany. This includes data and statistics on industry market share concentration, barriers to entry, substitute products and buyer & supplier power.
Questions answered in this chapter include what impacts the industry's market share concentration, how do successful businesses handle concentration, what challenges do potential industry entrants face, how can potential entrants overcome barriers to entry, what are substitutes for industry services, how do successful businesses compete with substitutes and what power do buyers and suppliers have over the industry and how do successful businesses manage buyer & supplier power.
Companies
What's included in the Companies chapter?
The Companies chapter covers Key Takeaways, Market Share and Companies in the E-Commerce & Online Auctions industry in Germany. This includes data and analysis on companies operating in the industry that hold a market share greater than 5%.
Questions answered in this chapter include what companies have a meaningful market share and how each company is performing.
External Environment
What's included in the External Environment chapter?
The External Environment chapter covers Key Takeaways, External Drivers, Regulation & Policy and Assistance in the E-Commerce & Online Auctions industry in Germany. This includes data and statistics on factors impacting industry revenue such as economic indicators, regulation, policy and assistance programs.
Questions answered in this chapter include what demographic and macroeconomic factors impact the industry, what regulations impact the industry, what assistance is available to this industry.
Financial Benchmarks
What's included in the Financial Benchmarks chapter?
The Financial Benchmarks chapter covers Key Takeaways, Cost Structure, Financial Ratios, Valuation Multiples and Key Ratios in the E-Commerce & Online Auctions industry in Germany. This includes financial data and statistics on industry performance including key cost inputs, profitability, key financial ratios and enterprise value multiples.
Questions answered in this chapter include what trends impact industry costs and how financial ratios have changed overtime.
Industry Data
What's included in the Industry Data chapter?
The Industry Data chapter includes 10 years of historical data with 5 years of forecast data covering statistics like revenue, industry value add, establishments, enterprises, employment and wages in the E-Commerce & Online Auctions industry in Germany.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the market size of the E-Commerce & Online Auctions industry in Germany in 2026?
The market size of the E-Commerce & Online Auctions industry in Germany is €141.7bn in 2026.
How many businesses are there in the E-Commerce & Online Auctions industry in Germany in 2026?
There are 35,719 businesses in the E-Commerce & Online Auctions industry in Germany, which has declined at a CAGR of 1.3 % between 2021 and 2026.
How may import tariffs affect the E-Commerce & Online Auctions industry in Germany?
The E-Commerce & Online Auctions industry in Germany is unlikely to be materially impacted by import tariffs with imports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.
How may export tariffs affect the E-Commerce & Online Auctions industry in Germany?
The E-Commerce & Online Auctions industry in Germany is unlikely to be materially impacted by export tariffs with exports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.
Has the E-Commerce & Online Auctions industry in Germany grown or declined over the past 5 years?
The market size of the E-Commerce & Online Auctions industry in Germany has been declining at a CAGR of 0.3 % between 2021 and 2026.
What is the forecast growth of the E-Commerce & Online Auctions industry in Germany over the next 5 years?
Over the next five years, the E-Commerce & Online Auctions industry in Germany is expected to grow.
What are the biggest companies in the E-Commerce & Online Auctions industry in Germany?
The biggest companies operating in the E-Commerce & Online Auctions industry in Germany are Amazon.com, Inc., Otto GmbH & Co. KGaA and Zalando SE
What does the E-Commerce & Online Auctions industry in Germany include?
Clothing and Electronics and telecommunications equipment are part of the E-Commerce & Online Auctions industry in Germany.
Which companies have the highest market share in the E-Commerce & Online Auctions industry in Germany?
The company holding the most market share in the E-Commerce & Online Auctions industry in Germany is Amazon.com, Inc..
How competitive is the E-Commerce & Online Auctions industry in Germany?
The level of competition is high and increasing in the E-Commerce & Online Auctions industry in Germany.
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