Selling into Germany
Germany is Europe's largest e-commerce market and the main gate into the EU. More rule-bound than the US (VAT, packaging registry) but quieter in niches — offering a stable, loyal buyer base to sellers who set the rules up right from day one.
The market's character
German buyers are detail-oriented: complete product information, proper invoices and clear returns. Price comparison is common, but once quality and trust land, brand loyalty runs higher than in the US. German-language listings are effectively mandatory — English pages seriously hurt conversion.
Channels
- Amazon.de: the market's biggest player; the PAN-EU network extends you into other EU countries.
- OTTO: Germany's strong domestic marketplace; selective approval, lower competition than Amazon.
- Etsy: Germany is among Etsy's strongest markets after the US for handmade.
- Own store: works with German content plus local payment habits (PayPal-heavy).
Tax and compliance: VAT, OSS, LUCID
For EU sales under €150, VAT is collected at the point of sale via IOSS; as EU stock/sales grow, OSS and local VAT registrations enter. The Germany-specific detail: the LUCID packaging registry (Verpackungsgesetz) — every seller into Germany must declare packaging, and marketplaces cannot list unregistered sellers. Set both up from day one; fixing later halts sales.
Logistics
Express shipping for small parcels; Amazon's EU warehouses or an EU 3PL at volume. In-EU stock brings delivery to German expectations (2–4 days) but requires local VAT registration — plan logistics and tax together.
Making Germany your first market takes more preparation than the US due to its rules — and pays back with less niche competition. On a consulting call we build your EU entry plan together.
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