Retail

Amazon is shaping German retail coverage right now with investments, marketplace developments and fulfillment topics like hardly any other player. The company sets the benchmark against which online retail has to measure itself, and its moves shape expectations for logistics and assortment.

At the other end of the spectrum, Asian platforms are making headlines. Temu recorded a significant sales decline in Germany and is also facing new fee rules, while Shein had to accept a 35.5 percent drop. AliExpress is named alongside both competitors in the current e-commerce data, so the group is perceived as a closed bloc. Shopify is driving the retail tech scene forward with new commerce tools, and TikTok Shop keeps attention on itself with its social commerce growth and the GMV debate. Kaufland, as a German retailer, is active in the marketplace business, while eBay is shaping the recommerce channel. Bonial is under observation following its acquisition of Tjek, and Salesforce is moving in retail technology with the Braze deal.

The category shows a retail sector in transition: while established providers expand their infrastructure, some price-driven platforms are losing ground in Germany. At the same time, social commerce, secondhand and technology service providers are gaining weight, which is likely to permanently shift the balance of power in German retail.