The Federal Association of E-Commerce and Shipping Trade Deutschland EV (BEVH) reports further recovery in online trading for the first months of 2025. For the first time since mid -2022, sales have grown more than inflation. Overall, the total sales in online sales rose by 3.2 percent in the first quarter compared to the previous year’s quarter to 19.7 billion euros. This stabs that online trade with shoes, which after a bad Christmas quarter 2024 was able to record an increase of 5.8 percent with a minus of 6.3 percent at the beginning of the year. The fashion providers important for online trade were able to increase their sales by 3.9 percent. Compared to 2019, i.e. pandemic and outbreak of war, sales are now 17.5 percent above the comparative value.
“The upward trend gives hope, even if consumers were unsettled by the global political events at short notice,” commented Martin Groß-Albenhausen, deputy general manager of the BEVH. “The Germans have put a lot of money aside – it is now the task of the new government to maintain purchasing power despite the trade wars.” He in particular emphasizes the concern that “companies would also be burdened if measures against global technology groups make digital infrastructure more expensive.”
The online retailers benefit very differently from the increased demand. Once again, online marketplaces were able to grow by 5.1 percent, exceeded by D2C brands, which were able to increase their sales by 6.7 percent. MultiChannel retailers implemented 0.4 percent less than in the previous year’s quarter via their web shops.