Online commerce grew 24 percent in the first eleven months
Despite the corona crisis, German retailers increased their sales more sharply than ever before. They probably took 5.3 percent more than in 2019, as the German Federal Statistical Office estimated on Tuesday. This is the strongest increase since these statistics began in 1994 and the eleventh year in a row with an increase. Adjusted for prices (real), there was also an increase of 4.1 percent.
“These estimates take into account the lockdown in the second half of December and retail sales for the months from January to November 2020,” it said.
One of the beneficiaries of the corona crisis was the online and mail order business, which many consumers turned to in view of the lockdowns. In the first eleven months he achieved a growth in sales of 24.0 percent. Many other retailers, on the other hand, were caught off guard by the corona crisis: the trade in textiles, clothing, shoes and leather goods collapsed by 21.1 percent from January to November compared to the same period of the previous year.
The important Christmas business got off to a good start for the industry. In November, which is characterized by campaign days such as Black Friday, sales rose in real terms by 1.9 percent compared to the previous month. Economists had expected a minus of 2.0 percent.
Compared to the same month last year, real sales increased by 5.6 percent. However, this analysis showed a significant weakening in sales. In October, retail sales were up 8.6 percent year-on-year.
