A majority of German ecommerce businesses are not happy with how the industry is performing. Only 6 percent of online sellers are ‘very satisfied’, which is the lowest that has been recorded since 2015. At the same time, the share of ‘very dissatisfied’ sellers has increased from 15 to 21 percent in one year.
These data come from the latest annual study about ecommerce in Germany from Händlerbund, a German retailers’ association. Earlier this year, Uptain also released a report about the satisfaction of German online retailers. According to their study, 43 percent of online sellers in Germany were dissatisfied with developments of the market.
Share satisfied online sellers increased in 2024
Compared to 2023, a higher percentage of online merchants were feeling satisfied in 2024. In 2023, the share of satisfied sellers came to 47 percent, last year it came to 48 percent. However, given that the share of ‘very satisfied’ and ‘very dissatisfied’ sellers changed significantly, it seems that the overall mood of sellers has shifted towards more negativity.
‘One in two respondents reported a drop in sales in 2024’
According to the research, one in two respondents reported a drop in sales last year. And for 19 percent, revenues stagnated. In 2023, that only happened to about 12 percent of respondents. Last year, sales increased for only 31 percent of respondents. A year earlier, that share was 34 percent. This could explain the worsening mood of sellers.
Frustrating holiday period
While online spending in Germany increased overall in 2024 (with 1.1 percent), many respondents experienced less sales in the fourth quarter than expected. At least 59 percent were frustrated with the results of the Christmas business. “I have never experienced such a lousy December”, said one participant.
Almost a third of respondents say that they expect 2025 to be a difficult year as well. New complex legal requirements, such as the European Accessibility Strengthening Act and the German Product Safety Regulation (GPSR), make online selling more difficult. Yet, 46 percent of respondents are still optimistic about the future.
