Online shopping is growing in Germany despite weak consumer sentiment, with more people buying on the internet and spending more than before, according to the latest Online Monitor from the German Retail Association (HDE).
Artificial intelligence (AI) assistants are increasingly being used, for example to compare prices, the HDE said on Thursday.
"Online retail can decouple itself to some extent from the poor revenue trend in the wider retail sector," said Stephan Tromp, deputy director general of the HDE.
According to the association's forecast, online revenues in Germany are expected to rise by 4.3% in nominal terms in 2026. Bricks-and-mortar retail is expected to see growth of only 1.6%.
Around one seventh of all retail revenues are now generated online.
The HDE also attributes the strong growth in online shopping to older users buying on the internet more frequently. Among those aged over 55, the number of online shoppers grew by an above-average 3.1% in 2025.
Significantly more food and drug-store products ordered online
According to the HDE, online sales of new goods in Germany totalled around €92 billion ($107 billion) in 2025 — nearly 4% more than the previous year. In percentage terms, the increase was significantly larger than in bricks-and-mortar retail.
Sales of everyday products such as food and drug-store goods grew particularly strongly, up 10.4%, as consumers increasingly order online — for example via delivery services. The online share is considerably higher for electronics and fashion, however.
According to the HDE's consumer barometer, a monthly household survey, consumer sentiment has improved slightly but remains weak.
