Amazon will be the Prime Beneficiary of German Online Retail Growth in 2021

Global marketplace seller Pattern has polled German online shoppers to understand how lockdown changed their shopping habits in 2020; and whether the changes to their behavior will continue in 2021. The results show that Amazon will be a prime beneficiary of German online retail growth.

45% of German online shoppers predict they will spend more on non-food online shopping in 2021 than they did in 2020. And 44% of those who shop with Amazon.de expect to spend more with the marketplace this year. Only 10% expect to spend less on Amazon.de this year. Pattern’s German Shopper Report 2021 shows that the increase in spending on Amazon is being driven by younger consumers.

The 18-24 and 25-34 age groups were more than twice as likely as older shoppers to indicate they will spend a lot more with Amazon. In total 66% of the 18-24 age group, and 58% of the 25-34 age group, expect to spend a little or a lot more on Amazon.de in 2021. The percentage of German online shoppers who bought from Amazon in 2020 stands at 92%; with 83% specifically reporting that they bought from Amazon’s German site.

The predictions for 2021 German online retail growth follow the patterns witnessed in Germany in 2020. 46% of German online shoppers said they bought more online in 2020 than previous years, and 36% said they bought more from Amazon.de. 32% said they bought products online that previously they would buy in stores; showing how the closure of non-essential stores in Germany at certain points in 2020 pushed consumers online. The report also highlights German online shoppers’ attitudes to Amazon, and why the proposition of the marketplace resonates with them. Other findings from the survey include:

Prime Membership

More than two-thirds of German online shoppers will have access to a Prime account in 2021. 46% already have their own account, 12% use someone else’s account and a further 12% are likely to subscribe during the year. 36% of German Amazon customers cited Prime as a reason for choosing Amazon to purchase from in 2020.

Amazon’s Key Categories

We asked German online shoppers how likely they were to purchase products from Amazon in the future. The results show the importance of Amazon as a sales channel in a growing number of categories. The categories with the highest number of online shoppers declaring Amazon to be their first-choice retailer include: Electronics & Computer Equipment (29%); Home & Kitchen (26%); Toys, Kids & Baby (22%); Clothing, Shoes & Accessories (21%); Home Improvement (20%).

Amazon’s Availability Was Key to Success

57% of online shoppers visited Amazon.de in the past year to look for products they couldn’t find in stores, and 34% visited to look for products they couldn’t find elsewhere online. 23% of shoppers who bought from Amazon said they did so as the product was not available elsewhere. 37% of those who bought from Amazon in 2020 bought a product from a brand that they had not purchased from Amazon previously. 28% of Amazon shoppers bought a product in a category that they had not purchased from Amazon previously.

Pattern’s Global Head of Marketing Joanna Perry said of the findings: “Despite having strong local online competitors in Germany, Amazon appears to have been one of the biggest beneficiaries of shoppers heading online during lockdown in 2020. These results show that the increases in traffic and sales we have witnessed as a seller on Amazon.de are not temporary; and could accelerate further this year. Our research highlights the growing importance of Amazon as a sales channel for brands who want to reach German consumers.”

1,000 consumers were polled online in Germany by OnePoll during February 2021. Participation was restricted to those who had shopped online at some point in the previous 12 months.