German technology and automotive sectors face economic shifts

The German technology retail market is projected to decline by 3 percent in 2026, according to estimates from the Federal Association of Technology Retail (BVT). Total consumer spending on technical consumer goods is expected to drop to approximately 45.5 billion euros from 46.9 billion euros in 2025. BVT Managing Director Steffen Kahnt criticized EU bureaucracy, specifically regarding packaging regulations, noting that some retailers have ceased sales to other EU countries due to administrative burdens.

In the automotive sector, a study by Roland Berger and the European Association of Independent Automotive Aftermarket (FIGIEFA) highlights the broader economic impact of the independent automotive aftermarket (IAM). While the direct market volume is approximately 100 billion euros, the study suggests the IAM provides significant indirect benefits. These include enabling 314 billion additional vehicle kilometers annually through affordable maintenance, increasing potential new car budgets by 65 billion euros via higher vehicle residual values, and generating 23 billion euros in economic value by reducing vehicle downtime.