Germany: pet segment hits third strongest e-commerce growth in 2025

Germany’s e-commerce market recorded gross merchandise revenue growth in all quarters of 2025 for the first time since 2021. For the full year, revenue reached €83.1 billion ($90.58bn), according to the German E-Commerce and Distance Selling Trade Association (bevh).

Combined with digital services, which accounted for €14.4 billion ($15.7B) in revenue, total industry turnover from goods and services neared the €100 billion ($119B) mark.

Pet supplies ranked as the third-strongest-performing e-commerce category, up 5%, closely behind groceries (5.5%) and pharmaceuticals (6%).

While many online sellers focused on cost-cutting and restructuring, pet retailers invested counter-cyclically to expand their online market share as consumer sentiment improved.

The bevh carried out a survey of 1,000 online shoppers in Germany in December 2025.

Consumer activity

Despite weak consumer sentiment, the share of German customers planning to spend less online fell to a 4-year low at 24.6%. Notably, the share of frequent e-commerce buyers remained stable at 34.2%, with roughly 1 in 3 customers ordering twice a week or more.

Average order value also increased to €146.19 ($159.35) from €144.12 ($157.09) in 2024, while customer satisfaction remained consistently high at 96.2%.

AI shopping

Tech-driven innovations such as AI shopping are still largely rejected by customers due to a lack of trust, bevh says. A separate survey by the association revealed that only 6.3% of online customers currently complete their purchases entirely via AI.

“Legislators must ensure that AI platforms do not become overly powerful gatekeepers in e-commerce, that a level playing field with retailers is maintained, and that AI agents make the basis of their purchasing recommendations transparent,” Alien Mulyk, Managing Director for Public Affairs Europe & International at bevh, says.

Economics of pet e-commerce

In early 2025, 1 in 4 euros spent on pets in Germany was made online, according to bevh. Accessories and toys accounted for 30% of revenue, while the remainder came from pet food sales.

Pet food was also the strongest segment by revenue in 2024, with a €4.3 billion ($4.7B) market share, according to the German Pet Trade and Industry Association (ZZF) and the Industrial Association of Pet Care Producers (IVH).

2026 projections

Online and offline retail turnover in Germany increased by 2.7% in real terms in 2025 compared with last year, according to provisional data from the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis).

The German Retail Federation (HDE) forecasts a slower 2026, with a projected sales growth of 2%. “To improve the situation for retail companies, the HDE is calling on policymakers to reduce cost drivers such as high energy prices,” the federation says. 

In e-commerce, however, bevh and EHI Retail Institute estimate a positive movement, with above-average rate growth despite challenging framework conditions in the country. According to the associations, nominal revenue growth in e-commerce with goods is expected to be 3.8%.

“The escalation of geopolitical conflicts, domestic political instability and the critical situation of key German industries are limiting stronger growth. Overall, however, e-commerce will develop significantly better than traditional retail,” Gero Furchheim, President of bevh, concludes.