87% of Germans shop online regularly

The COVID-19 pandemic has provided a huge impetus for the development of e-commerce. In March 2021, market research company Innofact AG conducted a large online survey of 1,015 people aged between 18 and 69 on their online shopping intensity, frequency, factors affecting online shopping, payment methods and other consumer behaviors.

According to the survey, 47% of respondents shop online at least once a month, and 37% even shop online every week. German consumer portal Verivox also stated that currently 87% of German consumers shop online regularly.

In addition, 67% of respondents said that their purchase frequency increased by 24% compared to before the epidemic, while the rest said it increased by 41%. Regarding the frequency of online shopping, 32% of respondents said it remained unchanged, and only 3% said that the frequency of online shopping was lower than before the epidemic.

Oliver Maier, general manager of Verivox, said: The lockdown measures caused people to shift their consumption methods online. According to Bevh data, more than 12% of the total household spending on goods in 2020 was spent on online shopping.

The survey also showed that consumers' online shopping intensity depends largely on income. Among people with a household income of more than 2,500 euros, 72% frequently shop online, while only 58% of low-income consumers do so.

In addition, age is also an important factor affecting online shopping. Among young people under 30 years old, 77% are more inclined to online shopping. However, among the elderly aged 50 and above, only 55% participate in online shopping.

Online shopping has also driven the development of online payments, and consumers can use a variety of methods to pay on the Internet. By far, the most popular online banking payment methods are PayPal or Sofort.

In the survey, if the order is 50 euros, 47% of respondents will choose online payment such as PayPal and Co. Few people choose other payment methods, with 23% choosing credit, while only 14% and 8% choosing credit card or direct debit.

Oliver Maier added: The preferred payment method is particularly important to customers. If a store does not offer the preferred payment method, the customer may not come back a second time.

The survey showed that 11% of the respondents said they would never shop at a store that did not offer their preferred payment method, and 56% said they would compromise if they needed to pay urgently or the price was favorable. Only 33% of the respondents did not mind whether the store offered their preferred payment method.

Germany

Consumption method

Online shopping