The Germany Ethical Retailing Market Report 2022 identifies consumers’ attitudes towards ethical retailing of food and fashion, younger consumers’ opinions on ethical retail, and the impact of the Ukraine conflict and inflation on the German ethical retail market. This report covers the ethical retail market size, market forecast, market segmentation and industry trends for the Ethical Retail Market in Germany.
Mintel’s ethical retailing report shows that Germans are looking for ways to food shop more ethically, using ethical certificates as a guideline. Organic and Fairtrade are well established brands in the German ethical retail market, meanwhile, certificates less known to the German ethical consumer, like the Leaping Bunny, have potential to grow beyond the beauty category, and are well placed to gain some ethical retail market size in German sustainable food retailing.
Despite Germans willingness to be more sustainable, the Ukraine conflict slightly dampens that endeavour, impacting ethical food retailing in Germany. With restricted budgets, consumers have to make more conscious purchasing decisions. Therefore, if they want to hold on to their place among ethical retailers, brands need to communicate in an authentic way about the added value of sustainable food retailing despite higher prices that are attached to their goods.
The cost-of-living crisis will challenge ethical fashion retailing in Germany, considering that ethically sourced and sustainable products are more expensive. The ethical retailing industry Germany is the biggest one in Europe, but uncertain economic circumstances, cause ethical retailers and brands to struggle and might see private label manufacturers file for bankruptcy.
Sustainable clothing retailing brands should consider creating resale platforms to reach financially struggling German ethical consumers, targeting their sweet spot between saving money and acting sustainably. Repair and reuse will also appeal to price-sensitive consumers as they can reduce the need for re-spend to replace.
Once the pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis have eased their grip on the German ethical consumer, sustainable shopping will come back into focus. The discussion around climate change will also intensify. With younger consumers longing for more diverse communication, ethical retailers need to address those changing behaviours, e.g. with ad campaigns around diversity or yearly updates, and reports about their Co2 objectives.
Ethical retailers should also start exploring opportunities/certificates that are less known to the German ethical consumer. For example, Gen Z are pushing for more promotions on diversity and companies’ carbon footprint; ethical retailers across all industries (e.g. sustainable food retailing, sustainable fashion retailing, and ethical BPC retailing) could respond to that by taking action to support those newer values and communicate about what they are doing for the planet’s health.
To discover more about ethical retailing in Germany, read our Germany Ethical Lifestyles Market Report 2021, or take a look at our extensive German Retail Market Research. Â
Products: Food (meat, poultry, eggs, milk), drink, clothing (including second-hand), footwear, furniture, DIY tools, technology (phones, laptops), BPC, and more.
Brands: Zalando, MediaMarkt, Foodforecast, Parasta Pirkanmaalta, Netto, REWE, FIFA, Aldi, IKEA, PETA, Unverpackt für Alle, Asda, Beauty Kitchen, Ecken und Kanten, YouTube, Lush, Alnatura, Kaufland, ecoterra, Hello Fresh, Picnic, Rimmel, Lidl, Edeka, AWO, and many more.
This report, written by Carolin Jaretzke, a leading analyst in the Retail sector, delivers in-depth commentary and analysis to highlight current trends in sustainable food retailing, sustainable fashion retailing, and across other retail industries in Germany, and adds expert context to the numbers.
Germans want to shop responsibly and ethically, but as they have tighter budgets due to the cost-of-living crisis, resales offer retailers new opportunities.
Carolin Jaretzke
Associate Director – Retail, Automotive, Finance & Insurance, Germany
Mintel is the world’s leading market intelligence agency. We show you how consumers think today and tomorrow. As a trusted partner to industry leaders, we deliver game-changing insights to businesses across the globe, fuelling their marketing and innovation strategies that will shape the future.
Access high-quality market research with every purchase of Mintel’s consumer reports. Here’s what else is included in your report purchase:
From consumer reports to customised growth strategies. We have an option to suit your business requirements.
Find out more£ 5,000 – £ 21,600
Mintel’s 2024-25 Global Outlook on Sustainability: A Consumer Study is designed to help you understand what brands and companies should prioritise in order to educate consumers and ensure...
Find out more£ 2,195
Fashion holds unparalleled importance for Gen Z, with 53% viewing it as their most vital tool for self-expression. This perspective drives high shopping...
Find out more£ 2,195
76% of grocery shoppers prefer discounts over other rewards, showing a strong bias towards value as a result of the cost-of-living crisis. However, 45% of grocery...
Find out more£ 2,195
In 2024, despite 85% of Germans joining the holiday shopping spree and buying Christmas gifts, retail sales for the Christmas period rose by...
Find out more£ 2,195
Following years of high food and drink inflation, German grocery shoppers remain highly price sensitive. 87% of grocery shoppers compare prices between own-label...
Find out more£ 2,195
Non-food discounters in Germany are outpacing their food counterparts and other retailers, as 70% of Germans shop at homeware discounters and 66% at fashion discounters. Takko...
Find out more
We’ve found it so useful working more closely with Mintel. They helped support our recent flagship event for our top suppliers by providing a really unique viewpoint on the future of online retailing.
Nick Carroll from their Retail Team was also an excellent panelist, sharing useful and actionable consumer insights. We definitely look forward to working with Mintel again on future projects.
One of the biggest challenges we face is the need to get smart on a business or category real quick.
We are talking to clients who live and breathe their category every day and the expectation is that we will be able to get caught up very quickly, and bring the thinking that can help them.
We need to do that often in a matter of days, so it’s not a small ask. Mintel gives us a very articulate view of category conditions and does so at the speed we need it.
Mintel is really good for getting a handle on a particular category quickly. If we are working on a new business pitch in an area we don’t have much experience in, it’s a brilliant way to get up to speed with what’s going on, what’s changing and what the key trends are in any category.
It’s very rare now that anyone will plough through a 200-page report – that’s why the summaries are really useful. We know they are backed up by a lot of detail, so if you need to go into something in more depth you know the information will be all there for you.
We use Mintel to inform our thinking and reinforce strategy. If you’re presenting new ideas, it’s essential they are underpinned by robust data and evidence, and clearly rooted in fact.
Mintel gives us all that. It’s a great brand and one that is trusted by clients.
At Jackman, we believe that powerful strategies are based on human insight. Mintel’s leading-edge reports and insights into consumer attitudes and behaviors are an important input as we develop and execute strategy.
From consumer reports to customised growth strategies. We have an option to suit your business requirements.
Find out more
