RetailDetail EU
Europe - EN
  • België - NL
  • Belgique - FR
  • Nederland - NL
  • Europe - EN
  • Newsletter
  • Contact & Route
Members' area
  • Log in
  • Become a member
  • News
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Home
    • Electronics
    • Beauty/Care
    • DIY/Garden
    • Leisure
    • General
  • Events
    • OVERVIEW EVENTS
    • EVENT PARTNERSHIPS
  • Advertising
    • PRINT ADVERTISING
    • ONLINE ADVERTISING
  • Members’ area
RetailDetail EU
Europe - EN
  • België - NL
  • Belgique - FR
  • Nederland - NL
  • Europe - EN
  • Newsletter
  • Contact & Route
  • News
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Home
    • Electronics
    • Beauty/Care
    • DIY/Garden
    • Leisure
    • General
  • Events
    • OVERVIEW EVENTS
    • EVENT PARTNERSHIPS
  • Advertising
    • PRINT ADVERTISING
    • ONLINE ADVERTISING
  • Members’ area
Members' area
  • Log in
  • Become a member
thumb
Written by Jorg Snoeck
In this article
Share article
  • facebook
  • instagram
  • twitter
  • linkedin
  • email

E-commerce unable to profit from corona crisis

icon
General7 April, 2020

Despite the fact that many physical stores are closed or limited, German online sales in March were 20 % lower than a year earlier. There are, however, huge differences between different sectors.

 

Winners and losers

On average, German online sales have dropped a whopping 18.1 % in March, compared to the same month last year. In January and February, there was a 1.5 % drop, the German Bundesverband E-Commerce und Versandhandel Deutschland reports. “Online services” (including tickets for travelling and events) was hit the hardest, with an astonishing 76 % turnover drop. Luxury items like watches and jewelry take a huge hit as well (- 51.6 %), but fashion (- 35.4 %) and shoes (- 31.1 %) suffered too.

 

“As e-commerce now is regarded a normal shopping channel, a consumer confidence crisis is also felt in our sales. The misconception that e-commerce as a whole is a winner in this corona pandemic, is just totally wrong“, BEVD president Gero Furchheim said. However, there are a few winners standing out: medicine sales went up 88 %, while online food sales jumped 56 % forward. Drugstores (+ 29 %) and DIY chains (+ 8 %) gained ground as well.

 

Belgian numbers seem to point in the same direction: the winners are webshops who sell items that can make life at home during lockdown more pleasant or useful. Online sellers of laptops, headsets and yoga mats see huge turnover hikes; fashion webshops notice a substantial negative evolution – even though that is obviously a lot less dramatic than the evolution at physical fashion stores.

More on General
See more
  • icon
    General5 June, 2025
    Action opens 3000th shop in Italy

    Action celebrates a milestone today, opening its 3000th shop in Europe. That honour was for Italy, specifically the town of San Rocco al Porto in Lombardy.

  • icon
    General5 June, 2025
    Trade war prompts Procter & Gamble to launch major round of layoffs

    Procter & Gamble plans to cut 7,000 jobs worldwide over the next two years, which is 6 % of its total workforce. The multinational is restructuring in response to volatile consumer behaviour and looming import tariffs.

  • icon
    General5 June, 2025
    Sharp profit growth for De Bijenkorf

    In a challenging market, luxury department store chain De Bijenkorf still managed to increase its sales and profits last year. A strong focus on service led to higher conversion, while costs fell.

Events
  • 19
    Jun
    CATEGORY MANAGEMENT CONGRESS 2025
  • 17
    Sep
    CAPTAINS OF RETAIL 2025 – EDITION II
  • 25
    Sep
    RETAIL MARKETING DAY 2025
Most read
  • icon
    Fashion30 May, 2025
    Why Belgian Nike employees fear redundancies
  • icon
    Home2 June, 2025
    83 % of Belgian furniture retailers found wanting in Federal inspection
  • icon
    Food4 June, 2025
    Rémy Cointreau hit hard by new import tariffs
  • icon
    General5 June, 2025
    Action opens 3000th shop in Italy
Follow RetailDetail
  • socialFacebook
  • socialTwitter
  • socialInstagram
  • sociallinkedIn
footer-logo
RetailDetail, the leading b2b-retailcommunity in the Benelux, keeps retail professionals up-to-date by means of online & offline publications, retail events, inspiring retail hunts and the unique co-creation platform The Loop, where retailers and their suppliers can experience the future of shopping.
Mailing Address
Kolveniersstraat 7, bus 26 2000 Antwerp
Visiting address
Stadsfeestzaal – Meir 78 2000 Antwerp
How to reach us:
Directions
© 2025 RetailDetail
general conditions | privacy policy
Contact us About us info@retaildetail.be
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Accept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the ...
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT