The average shipping costs of the 100 largest online retailers in Germany have increased from 3.92 euros to 4.39 euros over the past two years. Fewer and fewer retailers offer free shipping as a standard. Nearly a quarter of companies charge return fees in some form.
This is according to an analysis by Neuhandeln. The German trade publication examined the shipping and return policies of the 100 largest online retailers, as ranked by EHI.
Rising shipping costs
In 2022, the average shipping cost was 3.92 euros, while last year it had risen to 4.39 euros – an increase of 12 percent. Many online retailers have raised their shipping fees because they themselves face higher costs for parcel deliveries. This is partly due to the decline in online spending and shipping volumes in Germany in 2022 and 2023 – a slight revenue increase was recorded last year – as well as rising energy and labor costs for logistics providers.
The increase is linked to higher carrier costs
These higher costs are passed on to online stores, which in turn pass them on to their customers. EHI already pointed this out last year, urging online retailers to “examine their processes and cost structures and optimize them if necessary”.
Free shipping and free returns
Neuhandeln’s analysis showed that by the end of 2024, only seven of Germany’s top 100 online retailers offered free shipping as a standard on all orders. At the end of 2022, there were sixteen.
At seven online stores, shipping is always still free
Additionally, nearly a quarter of EHI’s top 100 charge return fees in some way: 17 percent apply them in all cases, while 6 percent do so only if the order value falls below a certain threshold.
Return policies of Amazon and Zalando
According to Neuhandeln, the return policies of Germany’s largest online retailers have not become significantly stricter in the past two years. However, last week it was revealed that Amazon is tightening its return conditions in Germany: only box-free returns will remain free of charge. Competitor Zalando reduced its return window for German shoppers from 100 to 30 days earlier this year.
