According to the POSpulse study “Online vs. Stationär 2026,” German consumer shopping habits remain heavily anchored in physical retail for daily essentials, while online channels dominate non-perishable and lifestyle goods. The research reveals that food delivery usage is led by HelloFresh and Rewe Lieferservice, while nearly a third of shoppers indicate a willingness to pay a price premium for physical retail convenience.
Channel Preferences in 2026 Consumer Retail
The findings show that 96 percent of shoppers purchase groceries primarily through brick-and-mortar stores, while 90 percent buy beverages through traditional retail channels.
Conversely, e-commerce dominates specific retail sectors. Electronics lead online purchasing at 66 percent, closely followed by clothing and footwear at 64 percent.
Market Share of Leading Food Delivery Services
The digital grocery and meal-kit sector features several dominant platforms, as tracked by the POSpulse research. HelloFresh and Rewe Lieferservice share the top position, with each platform utilized by 23 percent of surveyed shoppers.
Additional market penetration is distributed among several other key players in the delivery ecosystem:
- Lieferando Lebensmittel: Utilized by 21 percent of respondents.
- Picnic: Claiming 14 percent of consumer usage.
- Bofrost: Reaching 13 percent of shoppers for frozen and specialty delivery.
Consumer Price Tolerance: Online Versus Physical Retail
The POSpulse study explores pricing psychology between digital and physical shopping environments, uncovering notable flexibility among a segment of consumers. Specifically, 29 percent of shoppers state they would pay five percent more for the exact same item in a physical retail store compared to its online price.
At the same time, parity remains the primary expectation for the majority of buyers. Exactly 50 percent of respondents report they would purchase an item only if the price is identical across both online and physical channels.
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