Pattern (in conjunction with a market research agency) polled German online shoppers in January to assess changes in their behaviour, which online channels were most popular in 2021, where online shoppers bought gifts from and why they chose DTC websites, as well as some more detailed analysis of their Amazon buying habits.
This report shares findings from the research:
- Substantial change still to come
Online sales in Germany have risen quickly in the past two years, up 19% year-on-year in 2021, accelerating the 14.6% annual growth rate in 2020. This is no surprise given the shift to online channels caused by the pandemic that has been evident in many European markets.
- Peak importance
This year we asked some specific questions about gift purchases, to provide further insight into the online sales trends we had seen in the Q4 peak trading quarter. We asked online shoppers if they had bought gifts online in the past year and, if so, from which online channels.
- The start of the shopper journey
Related to the above point is the importance of Amazon when online shoppers are researching purchases. What they find on Amazon will have an impact on their perception of product choice and prices in other channels too.
- Prime position
One other interesting trend is the growth in online shoppers reporting access to Amazon Prime in the past year. In 2021, 58% of online shoppers had access to their own or someone else’s account. In 2022, this number has increased to 73%.
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