‘Expanding into Germany takes more than selling on Amazon’

While Amazon has been the biggest marketplace in Germany for years, other local platforms have recently increased their market share. Retailers who want to sell in Germany should be aware that selling on Amazon is not the only way to reach customers, says global fulillment provider fulfilmentcrowd. As marketplaces are increasing their share in the ecommerce market, being active on several platforms can help online stores diversify their revenue.

Difficult competitive conditions

Earlier research on ecommerce in Germany has indicated that since the third quarter of 2023, the median online revenue in the country has decreased 22 percent. At the same time, large online stores (with more than one million euros in annual revenue) saw their median revenue increase 7.6 percent. The median online sales of the smallest online stores also decreased by 12.3 percent.

‘Median online sales of the smallest online stores in Germany decreased by 12.3% since Q3 2023’

This indicates that since 2023, there has been a strong shift towards large online stores in Germany. This means that there are tougher competitive conditions for small online businesses, especially since the rise of cross-border platforms like Temu, Shein and Amazon.

Joining a marketplace to increase reach in Germany

German ecommerce, like in many other countries, is now dominated by marketplaces. TikTok Shop entered the German ecommerce market in March 2025. And just a year later, research indicated that 15 percent of German online shoppers have already placed at least one order on the Asian marketplace.

Amazon Germany is currently the biggest marketplace in Germany. The local marketplace Kaufland, wants to become a European challenger of global giants. It has been expanding across Europe. Otto, another local platform, is currently the second-largest marketplace in the country. This platform has recently started allowing international sellers as well.

If smaller online sellers want to succeed in the market, their best chance is to join a marketplace. By doing that, they could increase their online sales and reach. As shown above, there are many platforms to choose from.

‘Building a marketplace mix for the right balance’

A report from ChannelEngine in 2025 already indicated that the majority of online sellers (67 percent) are active on at least four marketplaces.

“Sellers are increasingly recognizing the need for a broader marketplace strategy”, says a spokesperson for fulfilmentcrowd. “For retailers, the key is understanding where their category performs best and building a marketplace mix that balances reach, customer expectations and operational complexity.”

‘The key is understanding where categories perform best and then build a marketplace mix’

At the same time, fulfilmentcrowd advises online sellers to not become dependent on marketplaces only. “Marketplace data can help brands understand which products, regions and customer behaviors show the strongest potential. Sellers can then use those insights to invest in their own business. The strongest approach is to combine marketplace reach with a broader fulfillment, localization and channel strategy.”