Statistics
Shoe Retail & E-Commerce: Figures and Statistics 2026
The German shoe market generated €11.48 billion across all sales channels in 2025. E-commerce reached €83.1 billion gross with goods, of which 56% ran through online marketplaces. This page brings together verified figures on shoe retail, fashion, e-commerce, marketplaces, returns, e-invoicing and AI in retail, each with a linked original source.
The most important figures at a glance
Ten key figures that describe the state of shoe retail, fashion retail and e-commerce in Germany. Each figure links directly to its original source.
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| Key figure | Value | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shoe revenue in Germany (all sales channels) | €11.48 billion (-1.5%) | 2025 | BTE |
| Active brick-and-mortar shoe retailers | around 2,550 with around 8,700 shoe stores | 2024 | BTE |
| Online shoe revenue (gross, incl. VAT) | €4,084 million (+3.7%) | 2025 | bevh |
| Clothing revenue in Germany | €57.14 billion (nominal approx. +1%) | 2025 | BTE |
| Gross e-commerce revenue from goods (incl. VAT) | €83.1 billion (+3.2%) | 2025 | bevh |
| Share of online marketplaces in online retail of goods | 56% (€46.2 billion gross) | 2025 | bevh |
| Online share of total retail | 13,4 % | 2024 | HDE Online-Monitor 2025 (via bvoh.de) |
| Returned parcels in German online retail | almost one in four parcels | 2021 | University of Bamberg |
| E-invoicing mandatory in domestic B2B transactions | from January 1, 2028 for all companies | 2028 | BMF |
| Companies in Germany using AI | 36% (2024: 20%) | 2025 | Bitkom |
As of June 2026. No guarantee of accuracy. Only the linked original sources are binding.
Shoe retail
How big is the shoe market in Germany?
The German shoe market reached revenue of €11.48 billion across all sales channels in 2025, a decline of 1.5% compared to around €11.66 billion in 2024. Around 2,550 brick-and-mortar shoe retailers operate about 8,700 stores. While brick-and-mortar shoe stores lost almost 4% in revenue in 2025, pure online players grew.
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| Statement | Value | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shoe revenue across all sales channels | €11.48 billion, -1.5% (2024: around €11.66 billion) | 2025 | BTE |
| Shoe market volume incl. VAT | €11.62 billion, -0.8% or -€90 million compared to 2023 | 2024 | BTE |
| Active brick-and-mortar shoe retailers | around 2,550 retailers with around 8,700 shoe stores | 2024 | BTE |
| Revenue trend in brick-and-mortar shoe retail | -€100 million (-1.5%) | 2024 | BTE |
| Revenue trend in online shoe retail | +€20 million (+0.7%) | 2024 | BTE |
| Revenue trend for brick-and-mortar shoe stores | almost -4%, pure online players growing | 2025 | BTE |
| Brick-and-mortar shoe retailers with negative operating results | 67 % | 2025 | BTE |
| Online shoe revenue (gross, incl. VAT) | €4,084 million, +3.7% (2024: €3,937 million) | 2025 | bevh |
The BTE figures for 2025 are preliminary association calculations. The bevh online revenue figures are gross values including VAT.
As of June 2026. No guarantee of accuracy. Only the linked original sources are binding.
Fashion retail
How is fashion retail developing in Germany?
Clothing revenue in Germany stood at €57.14 billion in 2025, nominally around 1% above the previous year. At the same time, the market is consolidating heavily: the number of retail companies focused on clothing has fallen by more than 45% since 2010, while large companies with over €100 million in revenue hold a 64.7% market share.
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| Statement | Value | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clothing revenue in Germany | €57.14 billion, nominally approx. +1% (2024: €56.54 billion) | 2025 | BTE |
| Brick-and-mortar clothing retailers operating in the red | one in two retailers | 2025 | BTE |
| Online share of clothing/textiles | 28.3% (€19.1 of €67.5 billion; 2019: 21.4%) | 2024 | BTE |
| Retail companies focused on clothing | 12,453 (2016: 17,312, 2010: 22,891), more than -45% since 2010 | 2023 | retail-news.de (based on BTE/VAT statistics) |
| Market share of large companies with over €100 million in revenue | 64.7% (2010: below 50%) | 2023 | retail-news.de (based on BTE/VAT statistics) |
| Online clothing revenue (gross, incl. VAT) | €15,127 million, +3.5% (2024: €14,621 million) | 2025 | bevh |
The concentration figures are based on the 2023 VAT statistics and were verified via the analysis by retail-news.de (based on BTE data). The bevh online revenue figures are gross values including VAT.
As of June 2026. No guarantee of accuracy. Only the linked original sources are binding.
E-Commerce
How big is the e-commerce market in Germany?
German e-commerce generated €83.1 billion gross with goods in 2025, an increase of 3.2% (bevh, incl. VAT). The HDE reports net revenue of €88.8 billion for 2024 and forecasts €92.4 billion net for 2025. The online share of total retail stood at 13.4% in 2024.
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| Statement | Value | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross e-commerce revenue from goods (incl. VAT) | €83.1 billion, +3.2% (2024: €80.6 billion) | 2025 | bevh |
| Revenue via online marketplaces (gross) | €46.2 billion = 56% of online retail in goods, +4.9% | 2025 | bevh |
| Digital services (gross) | €14.4 billion, +7.3% | 2025 | bevh |
| Online retail in goods (net) | €88.8 billion, +3.8% | 2024 | HDE Online-Monitor 2025 (via bvoh.de) |
| Online share of total retail | 13,4 % | 2024 | HDE Online-Monitor 2025 (via bvoh.de) |
| HDE forecast for online retail (net) | €92.4 billion, +4% | 2025 | HDE |
| Revenue of foreign online sellers | €8.9 billion (approx. 10% of the volume), of which Temu and Shein account for €2.7 to €3.3 billion | 2024 | HDE Online-Monitor 2025 (via bvoh.de) |
Important: bevh figures are gross revenue including VAT, HDE figures are net revenue. The two surveys are therefore not directly comparable and are labeled accordingly here.
As of June 2026. No guarantee of accuracy. Only the linked original sources are binding.
Marketplaces
What role do online marketplaces play in German e-commerce?
Online marketplaces are the dominant sales channel in German e-commerce. In 2025, €46.2 billion, or 56% of online retail in goods, ran through marketplaces (bevh, gross). The HDE puts the share of marketplace platforms at around 57% of online revenue, with 63% of that attributable to Amazon alone.
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| Statement | Value | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Share of marketplace platforms in German online revenue | around 57%, with Amazon alone accounting for 63% | 2024 | HDE Online-Monitor 2025 (via bvoh.de) |
| Revenue share of independent selling partners on Amazon | almost 60% (Amazon's own statement, no reference year) | - | Amazon (own statement) |
| Zalando: GMV, customers and revenue | GMV €17.6 billion (+14.7%), 62 million active customers, revenue €12.3 billion (+16.8%) | 2025 | Zalando financial results |
| OTTO platform: GMV and customers | GMV over €7 billion (+approx. 9%), 12.2 million active customers | FY 2024/25 | Otto Group financial results |
The figure on independent selling partners on Amazon is Amazon's own statement without a reference year and is labeled as such. Zalando reports group-wide for Europe; part of the 2025 growth stems from the About You acquisition.
As of June 2026. No guarantee of accuracy. Only the linked original sources are binding.
Returns
How high is the return rate in German online retail?
Germany has the highest return rates in the EU. In 2021, almost one in four parcels was sent back, totaling around 530 million return shipments with about 1.3 billion items. For fashion textiles and shoes, about one in two parcels in the fashion segment is returned. A return costs an average of €15.18 per item.
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| Statement | Value | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Returned parcels in German online retail | almost one in four parcels, the highest return rates in the EU | 2021 | University of Bamberg |
| Total return shipments | approx. 530 million shipments with approx. 1.3 billion items | 2021 | University of Bamberg |
| Online retailers offering free returns | 88.7% in Germany (rest of EU: 52.4%) | 2021/2022 | University of Bamberg |
| Average return period | 51.7 days in Germany vs. 28.1 days in the rest of the EU | 2021/2022 | University of Bamberg |
| Share of purchases on invoice | 28.8% in Germany vs. 9.9% in the rest of the EU | 2021/2022 | University of Bamberg |
| CO2 footprint of returns | approx. 1,500 g CO2e per item, totaling 795,000 t CO2e in 2021 | 2021 | University of Bamberg |
| Return rate for fashion textiles and shoes | peaks of up to 70 to 80% in some cases; in the fashion segment, approx. one in two parcels is returned | ongoing | retourenforschung.de |
| Average cost per return | €15.18 per item (€7.93 process costs + €7.25 loss in value) | ongoing | retourenforschung.de |
The source is the Returns Management Research Group at the University of Bamberg. The fashion return rate comes from the continuously maintained statistics page retourenforschung.de and is reported without a fixed reference year.
As of June 2026. No guarantee of accuracy. Only the linked original sources are binding.
E-invoice
When does mandatory e-invoicing apply in B2B business?
Since January 1, 2025, companies must be able to receive e-invoices (Wachstumschancengesetz, § 14 UStG). The obligation to send applies in stages: in 2025 and 2026, other invoice formats are still permitted, and companies with up to €800,000 in prior-year revenue have until the end of 2027. From January 1, 2028, e-invoicing is mandatory for everyone in domestic B2B transactions.
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| Statement | Value | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obligation to receive e-invoices | since January 1, 2025 (Wachstumschancengesetz, § 14 UStG) | 2025 | BMF |
| Transitional rule | other invoice formats still permitted in 2025/2026 | 2025/2026 | BMF |
| Extended deadline for smaller companies | prior-year revenue up to €800,000: deadline until the end of 2027 | 2027 | BMF |
| Obligation to send for all companies | mandatory in domestic B2B transactions from January 1, 2028 | 2028 | BMF |
The legal basis is the Wachstumschancengesetz; details can be found in the Bundesfinanzministerium's FAQ. This overview does not replace tax or legal advice.
As of June 2026. No guarantee of accuracy. Only the linked original sources are binding.
AI in retail
How widespread is artificial intelligence in retail?
36% of companies in Germany use artificial intelligence in 2025, almost twice as many as in 2024 with 20% (Bitkom). In retail, momentum is highest among larger companies: 90% of mid-sized retail companies have implemented or planned AI projects, while among small companies with under €50 million in revenue the figure is 46.9%.
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| Statement | Value | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Companies in Germany using AI | 36% (2024: 20%) | 2025 | Bitkom |
| Companies planning or discussing AI use | 47% (2024: 37%), only 17% consider AI irrelevant | 2025 | Bitkom |
| Mid-sized retail companies (€50 million to €1 billion) with implemented or planned AI projects | 90 % | 2024/2025 | HDE/Safaric Consulting |
| AI projects by company size in retail | over €1 billion in revenue: 86.4%; under €50 million: 46.9% | 2024/2025 | HDE/Safaric Consulting |
Bitkom surveyed 604 companies with 20 or more employees. The retail study by HDE and Safaric Consulting is based on 175 companies, surveyed between November 2024 and February 2025.
As of June 2026. No guarantee of accuracy. Only the linked original sources are binding.
Methodology
How these statistics are compiled
- We use only primary sources from associations, research, public authorities and company annual reports: BTE, bevh, HDE, the University of Bamberg, the Bundesfinanzministerium, Bitkom, and the financial results of Zalando and Otto Group.
- bevh figures are gross revenue including VAT, HDE figures are net revenue. The two are never mixed in a comparison and are labeled accordingly in every table.
- BTE figures for 2025 are preliminary association calculations and may still change once official statistics are available.
- The statement that almost 60% of Amazon's revenue comes from independent selling partners is Amazon's own figure and is labeled as such.
- Where statistics were verified via secondary publications (retail-news.de for the BTE analysis of the VAT statistics, bvoh.de for the HDE Online-Monitor), that publication is transparently linked as a source.
- This page is reviewed and updated quarterly, most recently on June 12, 2026. Found an error? Write to us and we will correct it after checking the sources.
Frequently asked questions about retail and e-commerce in figures
How many shoe stores are there in Germany?
There are around 2,550 active brick-and-mortar shoe retailers in Germany, together operating around 8,700 shoe stores (as of 2024, source: BTE). The number has been falling for years: in 2024, brick-and-mortar shoe retail lost around €100 million in revenue, and in 2025 brick-and-mortar shoe stores were down almost 4%.
How high is the return rate for shoes?
Fashion textiles and shoes reach peak return rates of up to 70 to 80% in some cases. In the fashion segment, about one in two parcels is returned. A return costs retailers an average of €15.18 per item. The source is the Returns Management Research Group at the University of Bamberg (retourenforschung.de).
When does e-invoicing become mandatory?
Companies have been required to be able to receive e-invoices since January 1, 2025. In 2025 and 2026, other invoice formats are still permitted on a transitional basis. Companies with up to €800,000 in prior-year revenue have until the end of 2027. From January 1, 2028, e-invoicing is mandatory for everyone in domestic B2B transactions (source: Bundesfinanzministerium).
How big is the e-commerce market in Germany?
E-commerce in goods reached €83.1 billion in gross revenue including VAT in Germany in 2025, an increase of 3.2% (source: bevh). The HDE reports net revenue of €88.8 billion for 2024 and forecast €92.4 billion net for 2025. Gross and net figures are not directly comparable.
How much revenue runs through online marketplaces?
In 2025, €46.2 billion gross, or 56% of German online retail in goods, ran through online marketplaces (source: bevh). The HDE Online-Monitor 2025 puts the share of marketplace platforms at around 57% of online revenue, with 63% of that attributable to Amazon alone.
How many companies use AI in Germany?
36% of companies in Germany use artificial intelligence in 2025, up from 20% in 2024 (source: Bitkom, 604 companies with 20 or more employees). In retail, 90% of mid-sized retail companies with €50 million to €1 billion in revenue have implemented or planned AI projects (source: HDE/Safaric Consulting).
Software for the retail sector behind these figures
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