If you want to sell your products in another country, your best option is to tap into a popular online marketplace. Choosing the one that will help you thrive is crucial. But a step before that would be selecting a country with an established e-commerce position.
Germany is one of Europe’s most vital marketplaces, with unstoppable e-commerce growth. Every year, millions of consumers find the top German marketplaces for their desired purchases. So why not take into account this opportunity, and enter the online German market to build your brand?
Continue to read this article as we guide you through the German marketplace landscape and offer some valuable insights.
A Dive Into The German E-commerce Industry
Germany is the largest e-commerce market in Europe and the third-largest in the world. With the highest internet penetration rate in the continent, online marketplaces are becoming increasingly popular in Germany as well. This is true for both customers and retailers, as increased supply and demand automatically increase sales.
Between 2015 and 2020, the number of online markets in the DACH area (GER, AUT, SUI) alone doubled to 114%. Online marketplaces currently account for 50% of all e-commerce purchases in Germany.
Approximately 75% of German businesses operate primarily through e-commerce sales channels. The industry’s upward trend continues uninterrupted. There was a 23.2% increase in the first half of 2021 (from €36.7 billion in H1/2020 to €45.2 billion in H1/2021).
Thus, it is clear that the German online marketplaces have huge untapped business potential.
Top German Online Marketplaces To Sell Online
There is an array of online marketplaces for you to choose from in Germany. Let’s take a look at the best ones.
Amazon.de: The Top Online Marketplace
As in most countries, Amazon is Germany’s undisputed king of e-commerce. Thanks to a generic product category and a global target region, Amazon is the best choice for you to compete with the best German online stores.
Amazon is Europe’s most well-known marketplace with the largest market share. Selling on this marketplace ensures a large number of visitors along with their trust. Moreover, you may sell your goods in several European countries, including Germany, with only one account.
If you take the German marketplace’s performance under the microscope, you will quickly realize that Amazon.de should be at the center of your strategy. According to the data curated by Statista, German Amazon leaves local competitors – eBay, MediaMarkt, Otto – far behind when it comes to:
- Brand awareness (96%)
- Brand interest (91%)
- Brand purchase (89%)
- Brand preference (63%)
What’s also worth emphasizing is that German online shoppers declare a very positive shopping experience – equally as high as Apple’s. Customer satisfaction is at an astonishing level of 96%.
Source: Statista, Consumer Insights: eCommerce Leaders, January 2022.
Moreover, Amazon buyers are very prone (59%) to recommend this platform to others.
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Amazon.de makes things simple. The worldwide marketplace offers a service where its professionals may assist you in obtaining a German VAT number. Moreover, you will always be paid in your preferred currency.
The e-commerce platform allows you to select your preferred shipping method. You may, for example, handle shipment management if you want to personalize each box with a handwritten letter.
If, on the other hand, you do not have a lot of time to spend on each purchase, the platform provides you with warehouses where you may keep your items.
To sell on Amazon, you must first register as a seller and select a plan (Basic or Pro). Create a list from your product catalog by uploading it. Finally, you must motivate the consumer, write original product descriptions, and utilize the options provided by Amazon.de.
If you’re looking for the best-selling products on Amazon, Nethansa has you covered. Our profit-maximizing platform features and a team of professionals who support, advise, and serve buyers around the clock while also monitoring sales account criteria. So, if you want to become an active Amazon seller, you can make a first step and ask our team for the sales analysis potential.
eBay: A Popular Choice
Apart from the 193 million monthly visitors to ebay.de, there are an additional 160 million visits to eBay-kleinanzeigen.de in Germany. Private vendors mainly employ the latter and offer generic product listings with a global target region.
German online shoppers, like Amazon, put a lot of confidence in eBay. The online marketplace is a pioneer in this industry, and practically every online consumer is familiar with it. Furthermore, eBay has a large number of monthly visitors. However, eBay lags far behind Amazon when it comes to brand awareness, brand interest, brand purchase, and brand preference metrics.
eBay provides merchants with a variety of methods for promoting their items. You may initiate campaigns to sell items using eBay marketing tools.
The tools allow you to track the advertisement’s effectiveness and make changes if it is not achieving the goals you set for it. You can also utilize the platform’s free templates to build your store.
You must open an eBay account as a private user or professional seller to sell your products on eBay.de. To select this option, you must first input your company’s information. Once you have your professional account set up, you may start an eBay store.
If you pick the private seller option, you will have to upload the items you wish to sell separately, along with a description. When advertising your items, eBay suggests making deals, utilizing a professional design for your business, and considering buyer expectations.
Etsy.de: A Rising Star
When it comes to self-made goods, Etsy is the emerging star. This specialist marketplace is quickly building a reputation, particularly in the English-speaking world. Currently, it ranks third among the major online marketplaces in the UK, trailing behind only Amazon and eBay.
With 13 million visits per month in Germany, Etsy is growing in popularity among German customers. The website targets a global audience with gift, crafts, and art product categories.
Etsy is a growing global marketplace for handmade, vintage, and creative goods producers and dealers. Customers for jewelry, paintings, and furniture can also be found here.
Etsy’s collaborative community is one of its most significant features. Besides, this all-American marketplace features a somewhat transparent pricing system. This platform charges a 20% commission per item and a 3.5% transaction fee.
Zalando.de: Europe’s Largest Online Fashion Retailer
Zalando is another German online marketplace that has become a worldwide e-commerce elite and has become Europe’s top online fashion retailer. The Berlin-based company’s annual revenue has increased by at least 20% over the last decade.
Zalando customers are younger, but they are also easier to convert. In addition, this online shopping marketplace currently serves the fashion niche better than any other European competitor.
Zalando’s portfolio includes over 2,000 brands and is always open to new collaborations. However, the site only permits external merchants with items in the clothing, sports, accessories, and shoes categories. The e-commerce platform might be an amazing choice if you sell things in these areas.
You may contact them to sell on their platform, whether you are a corporation or an individual vendor. For that, you must offer adequate information about the products you wish to sell so that they can be valued.
You must have your own website and offer free shipping and returns as a Zalando merchant. You will also need to handle shipments through DHL and have a 100-day return policy.
If you fulfill these conditions and your products fall inside Zalando’s categories, it is a great website for fashion marketplace sellers.
Otto.de: A Reckoning Force In The E-commerce Sector
Otto has great popularity in the German online shopping industry and throughout Europe. The Hamburg-based e-commerce firm is Europe’s largest B2C online retailer for fashion and lifestyle, as well as a global leader in other sectors of online shopping.
Otto is a well-known brand in Germany and is often regarded as the largest local alternative to Amazon and eBay. As a result, the website has gained the trust of older German online buyers.
Sellers on the Otto marketplace can offer under their own brand name. Moreover, if your target market is German-speaking, the explicit focus on that market might be considered an advantage.
However, the Otto market has some strict conditions for approval as a vendor, making it difficult for many non-German suppliers to be allowed. The selling process in this marketplace is different, and you must contact them instead of making an account and submitting your details.
Kaufland.de: The Promising Platform
Previously Real.de, Kaufland.de is a marketplace that now operates mainly in Germany. The marketplace is rising in potential and aims to grow into more European markets such as the Czech Republic and Romania. This positions the website in the e-commerce limelight.
The platform is a fast-growing online marketplace. Its gross merchandise value (GMV) has risen dramatically over the previous five years, expanding by 92% on average, whereas German e-commerce expanded by only 13%. This indicates that Kaufland.de is growing seven times faster than the overall domestic business.
To register as a Klaufland seller, you must prepare particular papers such as a firm representative’s ID card, business registration data, and proof of beneficial ownership. You may be required to give extra information depending on your company type.
Before you may become a fully functioning seller, Kaufland.de must validate your seller account. If you filled out the registration form correctly, the process should go smoothly and take between one and three business days.
The entire cost of selling is determined by monthly fees and commissions on sales. The regular fee is €39.95, including limitless product listings, diverse marketing, and personalized assistance. For an additional €10 per month, you may connect your online store to your Kaufland.de seller account.
Nethansa: Your Go-To Assistant To Sell Online
As a leading agency and software provider, Nethansa can help you sell your products on two German marketplaces – Amazon and Kaufland.de. This platform can help you build your brand by helping you reach customers in Germany and other countries.
If creating and implementing a successful e-commerce strategy is your priority, then choosing Nethansa should be your way to go. With our sales potential analysis, you will know where to invest your time and resources, not only for Germany but for other European Amazon markets as well.
Conclusion – Mission “Marketplace Germany”
The world is moving online, and Germany is one of the front runners in this scene. There are a lot of opportunities for you to explore the German e-commerce sector and utilize its massive growth.
As an international seller, selling to a different country with a different language and currency can be daunting. However, as the best e-commerce agency, Nethansa has got your back. With Nethansa, you can give the German online marketplace a shot without worrying about massive risks! But remember, that German market can be only the beginning of your journey! Nethansa’s solution can open you an avenue to significant sales results in other European Amazon markets, such as France, Spain, the UK, Italy, or Sweden!
