22-11-2018

One in five online shoppers in Germany have purchased from a UK site in the last three months, according to a study commissioned by Royal Mail. Of these shoppers, the average spend on UK websites is €54 (£48) per month*. With global reach and the number one facilitator of e-commerce in the UK, Royal Mail is well placed to observe trends across the industry.

German shoppers largely buy from the UK because they are able to purchase items that are exclusive and unavailable locally. Over eight in ten (81 per cent) German online shoppers trust items purchased from UK sites not to be fake. Three-quarters buy from UK sites when products are not available locally and 65 per cent like to purchase British brands. Exclusivity and lower prices of products are the two main reasons German shoppers purchase from UK sites.

Shopping habits of German consumers

The average shopper in Germany spends €116 (£103) per month* shopping (excluding groceries), with €97 (£86) of this spent online. This is 84 per cent of total spend, up from 79 per cent in 2015. The average German online shopper is 48 years old, more likely to be female and live in an urban area.

Shoppers in Germany are more likely to use a laptop or desktop to shop online (91 per cent) than the international average (85 per cent) but are more likely to use a smartphone than in 2015. Despite this, smartphone usage is below the international average. Just under a third (32 per cent) use a smartphone or tablet, compared to the international average of 51 per cent and UK average of 53 per cent.

When it comes to products, the top three categories are clothes (55 per cent), books (30 per cent) and footwear (28 per cent) for German online shoppers to buy. They are also significantly more likely to purchase second hand items, garden products, furniture and soft furnishings compared to the average international shopper.

A spokesperson for Royal Mail said “We are seeing some very interesting trends in helping companies to deliver to over 230 countries and territories worldwide. The research reveals the changing landscape and for businesses wanting to grow internationally, it's important to understand the distinct shopping habits of consumers in different countries. German online shoppers like to shop on their laptop or desktop, although there has been some shift to mobile since 2015 but not to the same extent as we've seen in other countries. Retailers that tune into the different ways in which consumers shop across the globe, are likely to be more successful on an international scale.”

You can download the report here: https://www.royalmail.com/business/insights/business-trends/delivery-matters-for-online-shoppers/download-reports.

Source: Royal Mail 

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