DPD E-Shopper Barometer Shows Boom in Fresh Products

One thing the COVID-19 pandemic has shown is that Germans are ordering more fresh goods and beverages. Alongside food and pharmaceuticals, these product groups are in particularly high demand. This is evidenced by the new E-Shopper Barometer from DPDgroup. Other interesting facts: Germans who shop online are creatures of habit. A total of 81% of all online purchases are made by regular e-shoppers – individuals who order online at least once a month. In comparison to the EU, they receive the most shipments per month, with an average of 6.7 packages. Additionally, German online shoppers tend to order from the same providers more frequently.

(Aschaffenburg) In particular, the product group of fresh goods and beverages is a bestseller in the German online retail market: 21% of German e-shoppers ordered items from this segment in 2021. Compared to the last major E-Shopper Barometer from DPDgroup in 2020, this represents an increase of nine percentage points. Ready-to-eat foods and frozen goods are especially popular.
“The Corona pandemic has significantly changed the perspective of German e-shoppers on their shopping habits over the past two years. In 2020, many people realized that they could supply themselves very well online during lockdowns and shortages. And in 2021, the convenience pays off: Product groups that were previously not in high demand are now increasingly gaining traction. The pandemic has shown that the supply of food and pharmaceuticals via parcel works excellently,” says Eric Malitzke, CEO of DPD Germany.

Main Reasons for Online Shopping: Time, Convenience, No Risk of Infection

German e-shoppers are primarily convinced by the ability to order groceries from home at any time while spending less time. However, the Corona pandemic had clear effects not only on this convenience: 38% of German e-shoppers stated that they feel safer shopping for groceries online during Corona than going to a physical store. Half of the respondents who ordered groceries online last year indicated that they have been ordering fresh goods and beverages online more frequently since the pandemic began.

Need for Improvement in Offerings

At the same time, the E-Shopper Barometer 2022 also shows that, from the perspective of German e-shoppers, there is still room for improvement in the offerings of retailers – after all, 79% of respondents stated that they do not order groceries online. A major deterrent for these individuals is that they have no way to check the quality and freshness or the general condition of the goods to be delivered in advance. However, price is also still a barrier within German e-commerce. Both the cost of goods and the cost of delivery are perceived as too high by over 30% of respondents.

Luxury and Leisure Items Slightly Decline in Popularity Among Germans

Furthermore, demand is decreasing in product areas that do not belong to the necessary daily basic supply. In particular, the categories of accessories and jewelry as well as automotive accessories have lost over ten percentage points. The categories of shoes and fashion as well as small furniture and decoration have seen a decline in demand of around nine percentage points.
Photo: © DPD