consumption
Large savings wave spoils the mood
Many people in Germany restrict their expenses when shopping. This has a noticeable effect for trading companies. When will the long -awaited upswing finally come?
2025 should be one thing above all – better than 2024 and 2023. Many retailers in Germany have started the year with great hope, but have so far been disappointed. They fight with the old problems. By far the greatest: Many people in Germany pay attention to money and are noticeably reluctant to shop.
“Households save from caution and provision,” says Stefan Genth, managing director of the German Trade Association (HDE). The cost of living is still high. In addition, there are very afraid among consumers that wars and conflicts escalate.
Hardly anything indicates that there could soon be a turn. A survey shows how serious the situation is. Around 1,000 people were asked by the IFH Cologne trade research institute in May. Half feels greatly unsettled by the economic crisis. Just as many are afraid of no longer being able to keep the standard of living. 42 percent have postponed planned expenses. The values are sometimes even higher than those of the previous year.
Only a quarter of the dealers in 2025 expects sales plus
The mood is also depressed in retail. According to a survey by the HDE among around 650 retail companies, about half reports that their business situation deteriorated in the first half of the year compared to the same period in the previous year. 33 percent see no change, only 16 percent improvement. Almost three quarters of the dealers state that the customer frequency in their inpatient shops has dropped in the past two years. It has only increased at 10 percent.
Only about a quarter of the companies expect sales in 2025 to be easy or significantly higher than in the previous year. The mood in the food, watches and jewelry as well as home and house textiles is somewhat more confident. It is particularly bad for retailers of household goods, bicycles and clothing.
The trading expert Johannes Berentzen still sees the reason for economy in the Ukraine War. Since the beginning of the fighting in 2022, a clear gap between buying and savings tendency. He does not expect that the mood in 2025 still improves noticeably. “This is only conceivable if world politics calms down and succeeds in trading incentives, for example through more experience in the shops,” says the managing director of the BBE trade advice.
Strong price increases in some foods
Inflation recently weakened. However, this often does not correspond to the feeling of consumers. You still feel the increased prices strongly in everyday life; Many foods are still becoming more expensive. In May, one blackboard chocolate took an average of 28 percent more than in the same month, and prices were 19.5 percent higher for bean coffee. According to the Federal Statistical Office, orange juice and beef wood meat have become 15 percent more expensive, berry fruits 14 percent.
This shapes shopping behavior. According to the IFH survey, almost 80 percent currently pay more attention to prices and offers – not just in the supermarket. Customers increasingly only covered their needs, spontaneous purchases are declining, says HDE President Alexander von Preen. For many, the price pressure is so large that they could only buy in the price entry segment and less and less priced brands. According to a survey of the price comparison portal, idealo in clothing and accessories is particularly frequently saved.
The HDE still sticks to its forecast at the beginning of the year. In 2025, a nominal increase in sales of two percent is expected in retail. Real, i.e. adjusted for inflation, this would only correspond to an increase of 0.5 percent. After all, there is a small glimmer of hope: an upward trend can be observed in the consumer mood. The HDE consumption barometer has reached the highest value in July in July.
“The shopping mood of the Germans is slowly coming”
The online trade could develop somewhat better: here the 2025 trade association expects a nominal increase in sales of four percent compared to the previous year. According to the IFH Cologne, consumers buy in many areas – such as personal equipment, home accessories, furniture, do -it -yourself – more and more on the Internet.
“The shopping mood of the Germans is slowly but steadily returning. This particularly benefits online trade,” says the deputy general manager of the E-Commerce Association BEVH, Martin Groß-Albenhausen.
But it is not only companies in Germany that use it. According to BEVH, a good third of sales growth that the online trade was able to record in this country in this country in this country achieved Asian shopping portals such as Temu, Shein and AliExpress. At fashion, 14 percent of all orders were available to these providers, and even more than 28 percent in fashion jewelry.
dpa
Source: Stern
