Sales on Amazon
German e-commerce worth €92.3 billion. How can your brand tap into this potential?
Last updated: 02/11/2026
German e-commerce no longer needs to convince consumers to shop online. Today, where and what they buy is becoming increasingly important. For Polish manufacturers and brands planning expansion, this is a significant shift in perspective. Success in this market depends not only on having a presence in the right sales channel, but also on the ability to compete for customers' attention and purchasing decisions.
Data from the HDE Online-Monitor 2026 report shows that German online retail has enjoyed another year of growth. In 2025, the net sales value of new products online reached €92.3 billion, and when factoring in the second-hand market – €103 billion.
These figures confirm the scale of the market, but what lies behind this growth is even more intriguing. Changing buyer behaviour, differences between product categories, and the growing prominence of Amazon.de provide concrete insights for companies expanding their sales in Germany.
Table of contents:
German e-commerce is growing, but not every category offers the same opportunities
New buyers are arriving slowly. Sales opportunities to existing ones are growing
Amazon.de accounts for 63.3% of German e-commerce value
Where should Polish brands look for growth opportunities?
A large market is an opportunity. Well-prepared sales allow you to seize it
Reading time: 4 minutes.
German e-commerce is growing, but not every category offers the same opportunities
Following the post-pandemic correction, German online retail returned to growth in 2023. In 2025, its value increased by 3.9%, outpacing brick-and-mortar retail, which grew by 2.9%. The forecast for 2026 anticipates a further online sales increase of 4.3%.
Despite this momentum, online accounts for 13.5% of all German retail trade. However, this figure does not fully reflect the significance of e-commerce across individual categories.
For non-food items, the online sales share stands at 19.1%, while in fashion and consumer electronics, it exceeds 44%.
From a manufacturer's perspective, the position of e-commerce within their specific category can therefore be more important than the size of the overall market.
A company offering products in a segment where online shopping holds a large share faces different challenges from a brand only just building sales in a category that is less developed online. Therefore, the decision to expand should take into account not only the attractiveness of Germany as a market, but above all the potential of one's own product range.
Before launching cross-border sales on Amazon, it is worth analysing category potential, competition, and market entry costs in order to select products with the greatest prospects for profitable growth.
New buyers are arriving slowly. Sales opportunities to existing ones are growing
The value of German e-commerce is increasing noticeably faster than the number of people shopping online. In 2025, the customer base grew by 1.2% year-on-year, with the highest momentum recorded among consumers aged over 55.
This is characteristic of a mature market, where further growth increasingly depends on the activity of existing users.
The average German online shopper places 35.2 orders per year, with an average order value of €53.20.
These figures allow us to view sales potential from a different angle. A brand entering the German market does not primarily need to persuade audiences of the concept of online shopping itself. It is reaching consumers for whom this is already a regular routine.
The challenge becomes securing a place within their existing purchasing habits.
This is precisely why proper offer preparation is so important. A consumer who shops online regularly can compare products and choose from numerous options. A brand must ensure that its product is found, properly understood, and deemed the right choice.
From a sales standpoint, this means having to combine visibility with conversion. Simply driving traffic to an offer is not enough if its content and presentation do not address the buyer's questions.
Professional Amazon listing creation and optimisation allows you to tailor content, keywords, and product presentation to the expectations of customers in the German market.
Amazon.de accounts for 63.3% of German e-commerce value
The structure of German e-commerce is even more critical when making decisions about sales growth.
According to the HDE Online-Monitor 2026, Amazon.de—taking into account both the platform's direct sales and its marketplace—accounts for 63.3% of the German online market's value. According to the reported data, the platform also recorded year-on-year growth of 4.9%.
The marketplace alone generates 46.1% of the total value of German e-commerce.
This means that a substantial portion of German online shopping is concentrated within a single ecosystem.
For Polish manufacturers and brand owners, this is a compelling reason to include Amazon.de in their expansion plans. The platform enables them to reach consumers through a channel that already plays a major role in their shopping habits.
However, being present where customers shop is not the same as winning their orders.
Amazon.de's 63.3% share confirms the importance of this channel, but it says nothing yet about the sales potential of a specific product, customer acquisition costs, or potential profitability.
Therefore, before ramping up investments, it is worth looking at sales more broadly than merely through the prism of product availability. The key is to establish whether the brand can effectively reach the right group of buyers and convert interest into sales under economically viable conditions.
Where should Polish brands look for growth opportunities?
Data from the German market leads to one crucial conclusion: in mature e-commerce, a competitive edge is built not only on customer access, but also on how effectively that access is leveraged.
When selling on Amazon.de, this requires taking care of several interrelated elements.
The first is the right product selection. Growth across the broader German e-commerce landscape does not guarantee equal demand for every product range. The starting point should therefore be an analysis of the category and the products the brand wishes to launch or develop.
Another area is search visibility. Well-crafted SEO helps reach consumers searching for specific products. However, visibility must go hand in hand with listing quality—its language, sales arguments, and presentation style.
The third element is advertising. Precisely managed campaigns can support traffic acquisition and sales, but their effectiveness must be evaluated within a broader context. It is essential to look not only at how many orders they generate, but also at the acquisition cost and the impact of advertising activities on overall profitability.
Properly planned Amazon Ads management helps increase product visibility and optimise ad spend in alignment with the brand's commercial targets.
These areas should not be developed in isolation. Even a well-planned campaign may fail to reach its potential if it directs users to a listing that does not persuade them to buy. Similarly, a polished product page will have limited sales potential if it fails to reach the right audience.
For this reason, growing on Amazon.de requires a cohesive approach to product selection, content, advertising, and performance analytics.
A large market is an opportunity. Well-prepared sales allow you to seize it
A German e-commerce value of €92.3 billion net, online sales growth of 3.9% in 2025, and a 63.3% share for Amazon.de confirm that Germany remains a key destination for brands planning expansion.
However, this does not mean that every investment in German e-commerce will deliver the expected return.
When deciding to enter the market or scale up sales, it is best to start by evaluating the potential of your own category, the quality of your listings, and the effectiveness of your current activities. Only on this basis can you make an informed decision on where increasing expenditure makes the most business sense.
At Go2Market, we help brands grow their Amazon sales using a data-driven approach based on interconnected actions. We combine strategic perspective with listing optimisation, advertising, and performance analysis so that sales growth decisions stem from real commercial potential.
Are you planning an expansion onto Amazon.de or wondering how to improve your brand's performance in Germany? Speak with Go2Market about the opportunities to grow your sales in this market.
FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions
How much is the German e-commerce market worth in 2026?
According to the HDE Online-Monitor 2026 report, German online sales of new products reached €92.3 billion net in 2025. Factoring in the second-hand market, this value reached €103 billion. For 2026, further online sales growth of 4.3% is projected.
What market share does Amazon.de have in German e-commerce?
According to data from HDE Online-Monitor 2026, Amazon.de—including direct retail sales and the marketplace—accounts for 63.3% of the total value of German online trade. The marketplace alone generates 46.1% of the total online market value. This demonstrates the significance of Amazon.de as a sales channel for brands planning to expand into Germany.
Is selling on Amazon.de profitable for Polish manufacturers?
Amazon.de can be an attractive sales channel for Polish manufacturers, but profitability depends on the category, competition, margins, logistics costs, and advertising expenses. Before entering the market, it is worth analysing product potential and estimating selling costs. The size of German e-commerce alone does not guarantee success for any specific brand.
How do you start selling on Amazon in Germany?
The first step should be to analyse product potential and competition on Amazon.de. Next, you need to set up a seller account, tailor your listings to the German market, choose a logistics model, and verify tax and product compliance obligations. Once sales are launched, monitoring performance and optimising operations are crucial.
Which product categories have the highest online sales share in Germany?
According to HDE Online-Monitor 2026, online retail accounts for over 44% of sales in the fashion and consumer electronics categories. For the entire non-food segment, the e-commerce share stands at 19.1%. However, category selection should also take into account competition and the profitability of the specific product range.
How can you increase product visibility on Amazon.de?
Product visibility can be enhanced through Amazon listing optimisation, the right selection of German keywords, and Amazon Ads campaigns. Compelling images, clear descriptions, and an effective presentation of product benefits are also vital. The best results come from combining traffic-generating efforts with conversion optimisation.
Is Amazon Ads necessary when expanding into Germany?
Amazon Ads can help a new brand reach customers who are already searching for products in a given category. However, campaigns should be planned with margins, competition, and customer acquisition costs in mind. It is worth evaluating not only ad metrics, but also their impact on the brand's total sales and profitability.
What are the biggest challenges when selling on German Amazon?
Among the main challenges are high competition in popular categories, the proper preparation of listings in German, advertising and logistics costs, as well as tax and product compliance requirements. Successful expansion requires a combination of market analysis, a well-curated product range, and systematic sales optimisation.
Source of information: HDE Online-Monitor 2026, IFH Köln / Handelsverband Deutschland. Figures cited on the basis of the provided source material.