Cash is playing an increasingly minor role when shopping in Germany as a result of the pandemic. Last year, 38.5 percent of sales in stationary retail were paid in cash, reported the Cologne retail research institute EHI in a study published on Tuesday. Before the pandemic – in 2019 – it was 46.5 percent.
Customers are increasingly using cards instead of cash to pay. As a result, the share of card payments in stationary retail rose from 50.5 percent in 2019 to 58.8 percent last year. The most popular was the Girocard, formerly an EC card. More than 42 percent of stationary retail sales were paid for with it. Credit cards were also used more frequently.
According to the EHI, the pandemic not only changed payment behavior, but also shopping behavior. ‘Because of social distancing, the trend has been to visit the trade significantly less, but then to shop significantly more, while at the same time making a significant proportion of non-daily purchases online,’ the researchers reported.
According to the retail experts, the number of purchases shrank from 20 billion to 16.6 billion within two years. The average receipt, on the other hand, increased by 16 percent to EUR 25.90. (dpa)