German online trade is booming: Focus on trust and sustainability!

German online trade is booming: Focus on trust and sustainability!

Eschborn, Deutschland - What is going on in online trading? The current nexi e-commerce report 2024 for Germany gained in popularity. A study by teleperformance carried out for Nexi reveals that impressive 94 % of Germans had been shopping online in the past four weeks. Countless reasons drive consumers to refrain from the usual purchase in the shop. Over half of the respondents (58 %) indicate time lack of time, while 19 % appreciate the simple operation of the platforms and independence from opening hours.

But trust and sustainability are also crucial for the buyers. According to the study, 89 % of online buyers prefer domestic web shops and many value environmentally friendly practices. 57 % want minimalist packaging, and 25 % are ready to accept longer delivery times for an improved climate balance. It is interesting here that the most popular payment methods mainly include e-wallets (48 %), followed by invoice purchase (33 %) and card payment (30 %).

The advantages and challenges of online shopping

Online trade offers many advantages: it is available around the clock, deliveries come home directly, and there are often attractive discounts on public holidays. However, not everything that shines is gold. In this way, sales in online trade, which increased by around 17 % in 2020, has increased, which corresponds to around 3.6 million packages than in the previous year ( Environment in class ). The range of goods is getting wider and even supermarkets now offer delivery services. However, a negative aspect of online trading is the high return rate, especially for clothing that is up to 50 %-around 800,000 packages are returned every day.

concerns about the environment are also not to be dismissed. The discussion about the social and ecological effects of online trade has flared up. The ver.di union criticizes not only the working conditions, but also the remuneration in the industry. In addition, online trading could lead to higher consumption, which is undoubtedly a burden on the environment. An example of this are the average CO2 emissions in shipping, which are between 200 and 400 grams per delivery compared to car journeys that cause 600 to 100 grams.

trend forecasts for the future of e-commerce

The developments in e-commerce seem to accelerate rapidly. An analysis of the e-commerce institute shows that emotional customer loyalty, the use of artificial intelligence, and sustainability are central trends that will shape the industry in the coming years. Consumers no longer only require cheap prices, but also for an emotional connection to brands and their values.

companies also have the opportunity to benefit from the integration of omnichannel strategies and retail media networks. Here it is becoming increasingly important to offer customers a seamless shopping experience that works over different channels. Generation Z plays a crucial role in this because it attaches particular importance to sustainable and transparent supply chains.

FAZIT: Online trade is not only transformed in terms of technologies, but also with regard to the values ​​and requirements of consumers. In order to exist in the long term, companies must adapt their business models and be strategically set up in order to take into account both the needs of their customers and the challenges of sustainability.