German e-commerce sales grew in 2024, marking the first revenue increase since 2021, according to industry group BEVH. Sales of goods in online retail rose by 1.1% to €80.6 billion, supported by higher savings that boosted consumer confidence.
Looking ahead, BEVH and the EHI retail institute project a 2.5% growth in e-commerce sales for 2025. However, BEVH President Gero Furchheim noted lingering consumer caution, citing geopolitical tensions and uncertainty surrounding Germany’s upcoming elections as potential risks.
Digital services, including travel and concert tickets, also saw gains, though growth slowed to 6.1% in 2024, down from 12.7% in 2023 and 39.9% in 2022 as post-pandemic recovery tapers off.
“E-commerce is back in the positive, even though consumer sentiment remains subdued,” Furchheim said, adding that strong savings have supported spending but uncertainties could still weigh on future performance.
According to official data from the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), household final consumption expenditure increased by a price adjusted 0.3% in 2024. The slowing pace of inflation and the pay increases received by many persons in employment were only able to encourage spending to a limited extent. The biggest increases in household final consumption expenditure (price adjusted) were in the area of health (+2.8%) and transport (+2.1%). By contrast, households spent considerably less on food and beverage service activities and accommodation services than in the previous year (-4.4%). In addition, less clothing and footwear were bought in 2024 than in 2023 (‑2.8%), after adjustment for price effects.