bevh: German online retail grows just 2.9 per cent in Q3, Temu and Shein slump
According to bevh, German online retail of goods grew by only 2.9 per cent to around €18.5 billion in the third quarter of 2026, less than September inflation of 3.3 per cent. Shein, Temu and AliExpress lost 35.5 per cent after the customs exemption was abolished, pure online shops shrank by 0.8 per cent and marketplaces grew by 5 per cent.
What bevh reports for the third quarter of 2026
The German E-Commerce and Distance Selling Trade Association (bevh) published its quarterly figures on 8 October 2026. Online retail of goods grew by 2.9 per cent to around €18.5 billion from July to September, including VAT and not adjusted for inflation. That is below the September inflation rate of 3.3 per cent, so a decline in real terms. Shein, Temu and AliExpress together reached €566 million, 35.5 per cent less than in the same quarter last year; their market share fell from 5.3 per cent in the second quarter to 3.1 per cent in the third. Since July, shipments from non-EU countries no longer benefit from the €150 customs exemption, and from November a €2 handling fee will be added. How a shop connects payments technically is explained in our guide to integration options in online payments.
Which online merchants the figures affect
Online marketplaces grew fastest at plus 5 per cent, while multichannel retailers gained 2.5 per cent online. Pure online shops lost 0.8 per cent and, as in previous quarters, are lagging behind the market. By product category, medicines (plus 15.4 per cent), drugstore goods (plus 14.3 per cent) and groceries (plus 9.1 per cent) are growing, while electronics (minus 4.6 per cent) and furniture, lamps and decoration (minus 5.2 per cent) are losing ground. According to bevh, domestic retailers have so far not benefited from the weakness of the Asian platforms.
Why the Temu slump does not automatically help German shops
Many hoped that abolishing the customs exemption would redirect revenue to German shops. The figures show something else: the money goes to the marketplace or stays in the wallet. Anyone selling only through their own shop is losing in real terms, and doing so while energy, shipping and staff costs rise.
From a network operator's perspective the consequence is uncomfortable but clear. In a market that is shrinking in real terms, the checkout becomes the most expensive spot in the shop. Every customer who fails because of a missing wallet, a second login or a declined payment is a customer who does not come back. Marketplaces solve exactly that for the merchant, but charge their commission for it. Anyone who wants to stay independent has to take payments in their own shop at least as smoothly.
What online merchants should do now
- Analyse checkout abandonment by payment method and add the methods where customers drop out.
- Compare the total cost per order in your own shop with the marketplace commission, including payment fees and chargebacks.
- Before the Christmas season, check whether payment declines and 3-D Secure drop-offs are within normal limits.