Online shopping unevenly distributed

Corona is not the only thing that has changed our shopping behavior. Online shopping has been growing for several years now. In its BBSR-Analysen KOMPAKT series, the Federal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs and Spatial Development shows how much people shop online.

The Federal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs and Spatial Development has analyzed and published regional data from the Gesellschaft für Konsumforschung on the subject of online shopping. According to this data, the BBSR finds that online shopping is booming, particularly in economically strong cities. People are also buying a lot online in the areas surrounding prospering metropolitan areas. In structurally weak cities and rural districts, on the other hand, people spend less money buying online. The figures for online shopping are comparatively low here.

The data analyzed and published by the BBSR comes from the Gesellschaft für Konsumforschung. It collected regional figures in a total of 17 product groups. These groups include clothing, food, DIY and furnishings. In simple terms, the data shows that online shopping is particularly popular in large cities with strong economies. Retail purchasing power is particularly high here. Accordingly, the figures are much lower in structurally weak cities and rural districts. This leads to the conclusion that people with a higher income also spend more money on online shopping. At least that is how the BBSR sums it up. As in many other areas, the differences in online shopping vary between structurally strong and structurally weak regions.

Leader in the south of Germany

As in the area of real estate prices, the frontrunners in online shopping are in the districts of Starnberg and Munich as well as in the city of Munich and the Hochtaunus district. People in these areas spent the most money on online shopping in 2020. On average, people spent around 1,000 euros a year on shopping for products in online stores. At the other end of the scale are the cities of Herne and Pirmasens. Here, less than 650 euros per person was spent on digital retail. On average, the amount that people in Germany spend on online shopping is around 800 euros.

The differences in online shopping are not only different from region to region. They also differ in terms of the goods. In 2020, for example, Germans invested around 100 euros per inhabitant in online clothing shopping. The districts of Munich, Starnberg and Hochtaunuskreis were also the highest in this area. The lowest figures were recorded in the independent cities of Kaiserslautern, Pirmasens and Herne.

Ordering groceries online

There is a different distribution when it comes to online grocery shopping. Here again, people in the independent cities spent an above-average amount online. Munich again stands out here. In the Bavarian metropolis, citizens invested the largest amount in online retail at around 60 euros per capita. The cities of Frankfurt am Main, Regensburg, Berlin and Hamburg followed in second place. Residents there spent around 50 euros per person on groceries in online stores.

DIY store online

Buying in DIY stores shows a different pattern. Here, people’s spending on online shopping is distributed somewhat differently than in the other product groups. When it comes to buying goods for building, renovating or decorating their own four walls, people from rural areas score higher. Residents of rural regions in Bavaria and some eastern German districts in particular spent a lot of money online in this segment.

Socio-demographic factors influence online shopping

The analysis of the data shows the Gesellschaft für Konsumforschung that purchasing power in online shopping is linked to the settlement structure. This does not mean that there is a clear urban-rural divide. Rather, the amount that people spend on purchasing goods online is high in urban areas. These also include many suburban areas. In contrast, spending on online shopping is comparatively low in sparsely populated and rural areas.

There are also differences between growing and economically strong regions and shrinking areas. Where there is growth and economic strength, people invest a lot of money in online shopping. Overall, the data interpreted by the BBSR shows that spatial patterns have less influence on online shopping than socio-demographic factors.

Opportunities for online shopping

The change in online shopping has progressed over the past two years. As a result of the coronavirus pandemic, many retailers have discovered online sales. Smaller retailers in particular have adapted to the situation and switched to online shopping. Shopping at local retailers is no longer limited to bricks-and-mortar stores, but is increasingly taking place digitally. This is creating new opportunities for retailers, especially in large cities. However, these multi-channel approaches are also important for store operators in small and medium-sized towns. They offer an opportunity to reach more people again. In this way, they help to ensure that residents in rural areas are adequately supplied.

Online shopping is changing our city centers, which still focus on brick-and-mortar retail: Vacancies, monofunctional places … The Verdi trade union is therefore calling for new concepts. You can read Verdi’s demands for our city centers here.