Bicycle sellers assess their current business situation as poor. (picture alliance / dpa / Hendrik Schmidt)
Ifo expert Höppner said that retailers are assessing the current business situation much more cautiously than at the beginning of the year. Expectations for the coming months have been clouded by people’s cautious consumer behavior. A significant revival in business in the second half of the year is therefore less likely.
Unfavourable development in the trade in bicycles, electrical engineering and electronic household appliances
The affected area is ifo-Institut According to the report, this is primarily the case for bicycle, clothing, furniture and furnishings retailers. But food retailers and car sellers are also less satisfied with their business situation. A consumption upturn had actually been expected over the course of the year after inflation had fallen significantly and wages had risen. According to economic experts, both of these things usually strengthen consumers’ purchasing power.
Postbank digital study: German citizens make three out of ten purchases online
According to a survey, ordering goods and services online is currently as popular as it was at the start of the corona pandemic. “Around three out of ten German citizens make purchases online,” explained Postbank, referring to its current digital study. In the second year of corona, 2021, the share rose to 38 percent, but then fell again to 35 percent in 2022 and 30 percent in 2023.
According to the study, younger people are much more open to e-commerce than older people. Among people under 40, the online share was 40 percent, while among those over 40, it was only 27 percent. The reasons for shopping online also differ depending on the age group. The most frequently cited reason is convenient home delivery. However, this is less important to younger people, who are more likely than older people to cite the immediate availability of goods or services or the possibility of shopping on the go using an app. For the older generation, cheaper prices are more important than for the younger generation.
Postbank has been publishing its digital study annually since 2015. This year, almost 3,200 people were surveyed in April.
This message was broadcast on 19.08.2024 on Deutschlandfunk.
