Today, the German association for consumer research (GfK) presented its first comprehensive study “GfK online potential” on the regional distribution of products’ online potential in Germany. The anonymous consumer information of 30.000 German households from the representative GfK consumer panel serves as a database. With the help of geo-statistical matching researchers identified the online potential of 17 different product groups for all German regions down to communities and postal codes. The following insights are essential:
- Generally, the regional online potential for the product groups of food, clothing and consumer electronics varies substantially. The distribution pattern is determined by disparities between rural and urban areas as well as between the states of former East and West Germany.
- Food: Despite the fact that online shopping for groceries in Germany is not yet established – metropolitan areas such as Munich, Frankfurt, Stuttgart and Berlin show above average online potential for food products.
- Clothing: Regional differences in terms of online potential for clothing are far less substantial. In Germany, respective online purchases are common and offers are location-independent. Especially in rural areas, online shopping helps to compensate for supply gaps in local retailing.
- Consumer electronics: In the field of consumer electronics, there is also a rather moderate regional discrepancy of online potential. Online purchases are already well established in the consumption behavior of many consumers.
Simone Baecker-Neuchl, head of the GfK-department GeoInsights in geomarketing, commented: “The insights on regional online potential enable stationary retailers as well as online players to draw valuable conclusions regarding chances and challenges in their markets. Therefore, this study forms an important decision base in different business areas – from marketing to expansion and Category Management."
Source: German association for consumer research (GfK)
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