Enterprise Caiying Group to provide the United States / Singapore / Japan / Thailand / Malaysia / Canada / Mexico / Brazil / UK / France / Germany / New Zealand / Vietnam / Indonesia / Philippines / Dubai companies and other foreign companies registered in the relevant business tax services, but also to provide the Hong Kong company / Shenzhen company / Guangzhou company / Shanghai company / Hangzhou company / Beijing company / Hainan company and other domestic company registration of corporate services, company annual audit audit / bookkeeping and tax / payment of MPF / change of information / bank account / ODI filing / BVI registration / tax compliance / cross-border e-commerce accompanied by running on behalf of the operation of the enterprise one-stop service, if you have the need or interested in any time to drop me (phone and WeChat consulting: 13045886252 ).

Germany's online goods spending to reach €83.1 billion by 2025, growth exceeds expectations

Germany's e-commerce market has achieved above-expectation growth in 2025, according to the latest data. German online goods consumption grew by 3.2% year-on-year to €83.1 billion, significantly higher than the industry association's previous forecast.

The German Association for E-Commerce and Mail Order (bevh) said that e-commerce has become one of the few growth bright spots in the current German economy and expects it to continue to grow at a faster rate in 2026.

bevh noted that Germany's online retail performance was relatively solid against the backdrop of overall economic pressure.

Previously, the German e-commerce industry experienced a period of adjustment for several consecutive years. During the New Crown epidemic, German online spending grew rapidly, but then the market fell back significantly, with online merchandise spending declining by 8.8% in 2022, and then further declining by 11.8% in 2023, hitting a stage low.The market saw a modest rebound in 2024, with growth of 1.1%, and online merchandise spending returning to a scale of more than €80bn.The market is now in the midst of an economic downturn, and the market is expected to continue to grow in the coming years. Germany's e-commerce recovery gains further momentum into 2025.

For the first time since 2021, online goods consumption in Germany grew year-on-year in every quarter of the year. The full-year increase of 3.2% was not only higher than in 2024, but also exceeded bevh's forecast of 2.5% a year ago. in terms of categories, the most significant growth was in pharmaceutical products, which increased by 6.0%, followed by groceries, which increased by 5.5%, and pet supplies, which increased by 5.0%. in addition to merchandise sales, online services spending grew even more In addition to merchandise sales, online service consumption grew more rapidly.

Data shows that digital services sales in Germany will grow by 7.3% year-on-year to reach €14.4 billion in 2025. Combining goods and services, total online consumption in Germany has reached €97.5bn, which is very close to the €100bn mark and is expected to exceed this level by 2026. In terms of outlook, bevh, in conjunction with the EHI Retail Institute, predicts that German e-commerce will continue to outperform the overall retail market in 2026, despite the challenges of the external environment.

Both sides expect nominal revenue growth in online merchandising to reach 3.8%. bevh said that intensifying geopolitical conflicts, domestic uncertainties, and pressures on some of Germany's core industries are still limiting the potential for faster growth. But overall, e-commerce will perform significantly better than traditional retail.

Structurally, a significant portion of the growth in online consumption is going to platform-based e-commerce companies, especially Chinese cross-border platforms. 2025 online goods consumption growth in Germany will be around €2.6bn, of which around 30% will come from platforms such as AliExpress, Shein, Temu, and others.

For longer-term trends, IFH KÖLN noted in its forecast released last month that the German e-commerce market is expected to continue to grow until 2030, at a CAGR of around 4.21 TP3T. Among these, the food and health and wellness-related categories are expected to be the main growth drivers. The headline e-commerce platforms, represented by Amazon, are expected to reap the biggest growth dividends along the way.

After understanding the German market environment, if you plan to register a German company or enter the cross-border e-commerce platform to enter the German market, you need to know the full process strategy for registering a German company.

01 Advantages of German Company Registration

Why do so many cross-border e-commerce companies choose to set up their companies in Germany?

1) Core European market with mature e-commerce environment

Germany is Europe's largest economy, with a population of more than 83 million and an Internet penetration rate of more than 90%. The e-commerce market is mature and consumers' online shopping habits are stable, with annual e-commerce sales averaging 100 billion euros.

2) Tax and Compliance Relative Advantages

After registering your company in Germany, you can apply for a local VAT number, which makes tax returns more autonomous and avoids passive withholding. As a local company, tax returns are faster and the process is more convenient.

3) Ease of logistics and customs clearance

After registering a German company, you can apply for a German EORI number, which makes customs clearance more efficient and the number of imports and exports unlimited. Many cross-border sellers will take Germany as the European warehousing and logistics center, radiating across Europe.

4) Increased brand trust

In the European market, it is easier for German companies to gain the trust of buyers, and the brand value is higher, which can help companies expand their B2B/B2C business in the local market. European e-commerce platforms such as Amazon.de, eBay.de, OTTO.de, etc. are more friendly to sellers of German companies, which can help stores to operate stably in the long term.

5) After 2-3 years of company operation, you can apply for an immigrant visa

If the German company operates normally and meets certain conditions, the legal entity has the opportunity to apply for a residence permit in Germany, which opens up more possibilities for future international development.

6) Avoidance of trade friction and international policy change risk

By operating Amazon, eBay, OTTO and other platforms as a German company, it is easier to adjust your business strategy in case of trade friction or policy changes, and reduce the business risks associated with your corporate identity.

If you plan to register a U.S. company/Singapore company/Japanese company/Thailand company/Malaysia company/Canada company/Mexico company/Brazil company/Britain company/France company/Germany company/New Zealand company/Vietnamese company/Indonesia company/Philippines company/Dubai company, etc., and other foreign company registration of the relevant business and taxation services, or plan to register a Hong Kong company/Shenzhen company/ Guangzhou company / Shanghai company / Hangzhou company / Beijing company / Hainan company and other domestic companies registered business services, the company's annual audit audit / bookkeeping tax / payment of MPF / change of information / bank account / ODI record / BVI registration / tax compliance / cross-border e-commerce accompanied by running on behalf of the operation of the enterprise one-stop service, you can add my WeChat (phone with V: 13045886252) at any time to consult ↓↓ ↓ 

02 Recommended local cross-border e-commerce platforms in Germany

1) Amazon.de

Amazon dominates the German market with a large number of active users and is one of the most popular e-commerce platforms.

2) eBay.de 

Ideal for used and specialty items, local business identity helps boost buyer trust.

3) OTTO.de

A large local German retail e-commerce platform specializing in home, electronics, fashion and other categories.

4) Kaufland.de

Formerly known as real.de, it is one of the fastest growing e-commerce platforms in Germany.

5) Allegro 

Although mainly for the Polish market, it attracts a large number of German buyers and is suitable for Eastern European market expansion.

6) Zalando 

B2C platform specializing in fashion and footwear, with a high demand for brand image and local company identity.

7) Hood.de 

Germany's homegrown multi-category e-commerce platform is seller-friendly and has relatively little competitive pressure.

If you need to register a U.S. company / Singapore company / Japan company / Thailand company / Malaysia company / Canada company / Mexico company / Brazil company / UK company / France company / Germany company / New Zealand company / Vietnam company / Indonesia company / Philippines company / Dubai company and other foreign companies registered in the relevant business and taxation services, or plan to register a Hong Kong company / Shenzhen company / Guangzhou company / Shanghai company / Hangzhou company / Beijing company / Hainan company and other domestic companies registered business services, the company's annual audit audit / bookkeeping tax / payment of MPF / change of information / bank account / ODI record / BVI registration / tax compliance / cross-border e-commerce accompanied by running on behalf of the operation of the enterprise one-stop service, you can add my WeChat (phone with V: 13045886252) at any time to consult ↓↓ ↓ 

03 German Company Registration Requirements

1) The limited liability company (Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung - GmbH), which is the most common legal form for companies in Germany, offers a high degree of flexibility and is subject to fewer obligations.

As a rule, foreign investors choose to invest in Germany in the form of a limited liability company, which offers six advantages: high flexibility, fewer restrictions, no personal liability, simplified procedures, low processing costs and easy application for a legal representative visa.

2) Shareholders: at least 1 person, either a natural person or a company;

(3) Directors: at least one (1), who may only be a natural person.

(4) registered capital: a minimum of 25,000 euros, must be paid, the minimum payment of 12,500 euros, but it is recommended to pay 25,000 euros to facilitate the opening of an account (paid funds can not be transferred back to the shareholders' account, can be used for the day-to-day operation of the company's payment of supplier payments, etc.)

5) Registered address: must have a local address.

6) Legal Secretary: None

7) Notary Certification: The legal representative has to be personally present in Germany to participate in the notarization of the company formation.

(8) Bank account opening: must open an account, do not open an account can not complete the registration.

A Opening of a local physical bank: the legal representative must be present at the opening of the business account.

B Cyberbanking: no need to be present.

If you plan to register a German company or need to localize a German company to start an overseas business, you can add my WeChat (phone with V: 13045886252) at any time to consult ↓↓↓↓

04 Procedure of registering a German company with a Chinese legal person

1) Pre-approval of company name

Submit 3 alternative company names, which are reviewed by the German Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) to ensure that there are no duplicates.

2) Signing of Articles of Incorporation

The shareholders sign the Articles of Association at the notary's office and the GmbH is required to pay a minimum of 12,500 euros (or the minimum registered capital in the case of UG). This step requires a German language notarization and is recommended to be done with the assistance of a professional service.

3) Business Registration & Obtaining Business License

Complete the business registration by submitting all documents at the local business administration (Handelsregister).

The German company is formally established and receives a German business license (Handelsregisterauszug).

4) Bank account opening

Submit documents such as proof of identity of the shareholders, articles of incorporation and proof of registration to a German bank to open a company account. After the account is activated, the minimum registered capital has to be deposited.

5) Tax Registration & Application for VAT Number

Register with the German tax office to obtain a tax number (Steuernummer). Apply for a German VAT number (USt-IdNr.) for VAT compliance reporting.

If you plan to register a German company or need to use German company localization to start an overseas business, you can drop me (phone with V: 13045886252) at any time to arrange ↓↓↓↓ 

05 Why choose Enterprise Caiying Group to cooperate?

🏆 More than just registration, we are your "strategic architect" and "resource engine" for going overseas.

Since its establishment in 2015, Enterprise Caiying Group has accompanied the growth of more than 100,000 enterprises. With the mission of "becoming a full-cycle partner of enterprise growth", we focus on providing one-stop solutions of "top-level architecture design + global compliance landing + long-term resource empowerment" for enterprises going overseas.

Our bottom line comes from the accumulation of ten years of deep cultivation and a full range of service ecology:

✅ Global Network and Localized Delivery: Physical branches are set up in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hangzhou, Hong Kong and the United States, with services covering Asia, Europe, and the Americas, realizing efficient cross-regional collaboration.

✅ Full license qualification escort: 3 major Hong Kong secretarial company license + 1 self-owned Hong Kong accounting firm license + 1 U.S. branch license, hard core qualification strength escort.

✅ Digital Intelligent System Empowerment: invested over 25 million in self-researching intelligent management platform to achieve process standardization, automation and visualization, and build customer portrait through AI to improve decision-making efficiency.

✅ Powerful resource linking ecology: linking over 500,000 entrepreneurial resources with more than 100 business associations at home and abroad, creating business linking value through cross-border salons, seminars, study tours and other activities.

From the case of registering an overseas company, we see the core delivery capability of Enterprise Caiying:

1️⃣ In-depth diagnosis and customized structure design: We are not only executors, but also consultants. Each case begins with an in-depth analysis of the client's business, regulatory and long-term goals, and the design of a customized structure, such as "BVI-Cayman-Hong Kong", that combines risk isolation, tax optimization and financing compliance.

2️⃣ Pragmatic strategy to overcome the "difficult account opening": in the face of the complex structure of the account opening problems, we use the "network banking fast start + long-term optimization of the physical bank" combination of strategies, with a wealth of banking channels and pre-qualification experience, to ensure that the funding channel is smooth.

3️⃣ "Company + Identity" integrated planning: when enterprises go overseas, the key lies in people. We deeply integrate the identity planning of Hong Kong talents and senior talents with the company structure and operation traces to provide a complete program of "internal and external cultivation".

4️⃣ Full-Cycle Transparent Project Management: Eliminate information anxiety through exclusive service groups, clear timelines and regular progress synchronization to keep clients in control throughout the entire process.

Going overseas is a systematic project that requires professional escort. Choosing a partner who understands both international rules and the needs of Chinese enterprises will enable you to make a more stable start and go farther on the road to the sea.

statement denying or limiting responsibility

Image source: some of the image material in this article from the network, such as copyright issues, please contact us to replace the deletion of processing.

Information reference: The content of this article is synthesized from the internal materials of Enterprise Caiying and relevant public network information.

Content Editor: This article was edited and designed by the Operations Department of the Enterprise Caiying Group.

Warm reminder: The relevant policies, conditions, time limits, fees and other information described in this article may be subject to dynamic adjustments, please refer to the latest official announcements or the actual application of the specific circumstances prevail.