What does Click & Collect mean for German eCommerce?

October 15, 2021

By Daniel Schwedhelm

Global Sales Director

eCommerce is not new anymore, but it has developed so rapidly in recent months that has become already as one of the preferred methods for buyers to connect with different sellers worldwide, fast. 

While during the pandemic going shopping was entirely restricted, eCommerce has made the biggest growth ever. We experienced in a few months a remarkable change in the consumer behaviours and many of these new habits are here to stay because they have proven to be very convenient. 

As we all know, there are many methods. In Germany the favourite methods is home delivery but it’s is followed by ‘Click and Collect’, a hybrid shopping method that combines online and physical shopping. With this method customers can order products online and pick them up at a store nearby. Now even this trend is evolving very fast. 


How is ‘Click and Collect’ growing eCommerce sales in Germany? And what categories are benefiting the most?

As a result of the lockdown, click & collect solutions accounted for 6.4 percent of all eCommerce income in Germany last year and according to the HDE Online Monitor 2021: three out of every four Germans are aware of the new Click & Collect service provided by many retailers.

Consumer electronics is the category with the most Click & Collect revenue, accounting for 27% of overall revenue from these sales. 

Following the latest Statista report these are the drivers by category in eCommerce across Germany:


For consumers the most valued benefits are: less stress during shopping, they get to support the local merchants, safety during the pandemic, spend less time for shopping and it’s cheaper and faster than home delivery.

Key challenges of ‘Click and Collect’ for Brands in Germany

There are many benefits for consumers that choose this shopping method but what about for retailers? Let's take a look at the main advantages of this type of eCommerce shopping method.

- They get faster order processing

- Increases the basket value

- Reduces logistical costs

- It provides higher customer satisfaction


But, on the other hand, there are some challenges for Brands looking to grow their eCommerce share on retailers that offer Click & Collect:

- Being able to monitor pricing at store level to spot discrepancies between locations. 

- Keeping track of out-of-stocks daily to improve the supply chain process.

- Checking the assortment per store for key account managers to provide different sales offers.


It’s clear that while consumers benefit from ‘Click and Collect’, brands may experience additional drawbacks when adopting it into their sales plan. Keeping track of products assortment and prices across locations can become a daunting task for any eCommerce professional.

In Germany we have a saying: das Leben ist kein Wunschkonzert of which the literal translation is “life is not a wish concert” and it means that life can be challenging. The same applies for today’s eCommerce world and here’s where we can help: contact us to learn more about how to keep track of your products across stores with our Geolocation data solution. Available for all European countries, including Germany.


Go back

Read more articles like this