Online shopping on the rise in Germany
December 27, 2016
In 2016, German consumers on average spent 1,280 euros ($1338) on online purchases, the country's Federal Association for Information Technology (Bitkom) reported Tuesday.
A representative poll among shoppers older than 13 years revealed roughly one of six consumers (16 percent) spent more than 2,500 euros on online orders this year.
The odds are 2017 will see another boost to e-commerce," Bitkom Managing Director Bernhard Rohleder said in a statement on the association's website.
Consumer electronics all the rage
Ninety-six percent of respondents said they'd bought something online over the past 12 months. Another 15 percent said they made an online purchase at least once a week, with 5 percent saying they bought goods online on a daily basis.
The Bitkom study also showed that more and more Germans did not only trust online shops in their own country, but also those based abroad. Seven in 10 respondents said they'd bought goods from online shops in Europe, Asia and North America in the period under review.
Bitkom noted that tech gadgets were high on online shoppers' wish lists. Best-selling items included smartphones, tablet computers, smartwatches and fitness trackers.