Global marketplace seller Pattern has polled German online shoppers to understand how lockdown changed their shopping habits in 2020, and whether the changes to their behaviour will continue in 2021.
Germany, the powerhouse of Europe is a good bellwether for how the rest of the continent will perform and if you want to attract German online shoppers on Amazon then the report is pretty good news.
45% of German online shoppers predict they will spend more on non-food online shopping in 2021 than they did in 2020. And 44% of those who shop with Amazon Germany expect to spend more with the marketplace this year. Only 10% expect to spend less on Amazon Germany this year.
Pattern’s German Shopper Report 2021 shows that the increase in spending on Amazon is being driven by younger consumers. The 18-24 and 25-34 age groups were more than twice as likely as older shoppers to indicate they will spend a lot more with Amazon. In total 66% of the 18-24 age group, and 58% of the 25-34 age group, expect to spend a little or a lot more on Amazon Germany in 2021.
The percentage of German online shoppers who bought from Amazon in 2020 stands at 92%; with 83% specifically reporting that they bought from Amazon’s German site.
The predictions for 2021 spending follow the patterns of online sales growth witnessed in Germany in 2020. 46% of German online shoppers said they bought more online in 2020 than previous years, and 36% said they bought more from Amazon Germany. 32% said they bought products online that previously they would buy in stores; showing how the closure of non-essential stores in Germany at certain points in 2020 pushed consumers online.
Attitudes to Amazon Germany
The report also highlights German online shoppers’ attitudes to Amazon, and why the proposition of the marketplace resonates with them. Other findings from the survey include:
Prime membership
More than two-thirds of German online shoppers will have access to a Prime account in 2021. 46% already have their own account, 12% use someone else’s account and a further 12% are likely to subscribe during the year. 36% of German Amazon customers cited Prime as a reason for choosing Amazon to purchase from in 2020.
Amazon’s key categories
Pattern asked German online shoppers how likely they were to purchase products from different categories from Amazon in the future. The results show the importance of Amazon as a sales channel in a growing number of categories.
The categories with the highest number of online shoppers declaring Amazon to be their first-choice retailer include: Electronics & Computer Equipment (29%); Home & Kitchen (26%); Toys, Kids & Baby (22%); Clothing, Shoes & Accessories (21%); Home Improvement (20%).
Amazon’s availability was key to success
57% of online shoppers visited Amazon.de in the past year to look for products they could not find in stores, and 34% visited to look for products they couldn’t find elsewhere online. 23% of shoppers who bought from Amazon said they did so as the product was not available elsewhere.
37% of those who bought from Amazon in 2020 bought a product from a brand that they had not purchased from Amazon previously. 28% of Amazon shoppers bought a product in a category that they had not purchased from Amazon previously.
“Despite having strong local online competitors in Germany, Amazon appears to have been one of the biggest beneficiaries of shoppers heading online during lockdown in 2020. These results show that the increases in traffic and sales we have witnessed as a seller on Amazon.de are not temporary; and could accelerate further this year. Our research highlights the growing importance of Amazon as a sales channel for brands who want to reach German consumers.”
– Joanna Perry, Global Head of Marketing, Pattern
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