Germany sales of distance-sold goods and digital services
Germany sales of distance-sold goods and digital services stood at 25,519 million euros in Q2 2026. It is one of the indicators in the Quarterly e-commerce turnover by category and seller channel table (Value · Quarterly), with a complete series running from Q3 2024 to Q2 2026. The complete series with an interactive chart, free to download.
This indicator in the Quarterly e-commerce turnover by category and seller channel table
| Indicator | Q2-2026 | Q1-2026 | Q3-2025 | Q2-2025 | Q1-2025 | Q3-2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goods and digital services in distance selling2 | 25,519 | 23,672 | 21,787 | 24,175 | 22,808 | 21,003 | |
| Digital services sold online | 4,213 | 3,020 | 3,621 | 3,893 | 2,828 | 3,351 | |
| Goods in all distance selling channels | 21,306 | 20,652 | 18,166 | 20,282 | 19,980 | 17,652 |
Understanding germany sales of distance-sold goods and digital services
Gross expenditure captured here combines distance purchases of physical merchandise with remote orders of digital services across all interactive retail channels in Germany. The figure aggregates transactions made via the internet alongside traditional remote ordering methods such as printed catalogues, order forms, and telephone desks. Inclusions span all tangible consumer parcels delivered to homes or collection lockers, combined with intangible services booked remotely, such as transport tickets, event admissions, and digital subscriptions. Value-added tax is included in these nominal values. This headline total stands above every other row in the table, serving as the parent aggregate for both the goods in distance selling hierarchy and the standalone digital services metric.
Evaluating this aggregate requires comparing matching calendar quarters from adjacent years rather than sequential three-month spans. Consumer spending across interactive channels concentrates in the final calendar quarter due to holiday shopping and promotional events, creating recurring seasonal swings that make quarter-on-quarter movements deceptive. Because the series expresses unadjusted turnover at current prices, inflationary shifts alter the top-line figure even when transaction volumes remain unchanged. Analysts comparing this series with national retail trade indices must note that official retail statistics typically exclude digital service contracts and may report turnover net of value-added tax. Figures are subject to retrospective survey revisions as vendor reporting panels finalize merchant transaction logs.
Frequently asked questions
- Does this aggregate include purchases made through printed mail-order catalogues?
- Yes, the metric encompasses all remote ordering channels, combining traditional print catalogues and telephone orders with web-based transactions.
- Are returns and order cancellations deducted from this turnover total?
- The reported figures represent gross invoiced sales including sales tax, meaning customer returns processed after dispatch may remain embedded in initial totals unless adjusted by survey respondents.
- How does this broad measure differ from headline retail sales published by statistical agencies?
- This series incorporates remote digital service bookings alongside physical goods and reports gross values with sales tax, whereas standard retail indices track merchandise alone and frequently publish net figures.