German E-Commerce: Sales Up 14% in 2009

Online shoppers in Germany spent roughly €15.5 billion ($21.5 billion, at average 2009 exchange rates) last year, according to recent data from GfK’s WebScope Panel. That marks an annual rise of 14%—well below the 19% growth rate in 2008, but distinctly positive given the difficult economic conditions.

The average expenditure per online buyer in Germany rose by 10% in 2009, to €506 ($703), though the number of purchases, on average, remained constant at 9.4 per year.

Of the non-food product categories monitored by GfK, clothing and fashion showed the greatest gain (24.5%) since 2008. Sales of electronics were up 12.3%, and sales of durables (such as furniture, toys, books and household goods) grew 11.5%.

So far, expectations for growth in 2010 are modest—though e-commerce should continue to perform more robustly than offline sales. Consumer confidence in Germany fell marginally (0.1%) in February 2010, according to GfK’s monthly assessment, and a similar slippage is expected in March. The German economy is beginning to pick up steam again, but prospects of further job losses and wage constraints due to lingering effects of the financial crisis are weighing on consumers.

GfK’s WebScope Panel research is based on a nationally representative sampling of 10,000 Internet users ages 14 and older. GfK has surveyed online buying habits in Germany continuously since 2001.