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2 clusters · 13 sources · 30 days · First seen · Last updated

German economic and retail trends

Overview

In 2025, Germany experienced a significant rise in business closures, with approximately 188,000 companies ceasing operations. This represented a 10% increase from the previous year and the highest level in nearly two decades. A study by Creditreform and the Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW) indicated that only 13% of these closures were due to insolvency, with most being driven by economic decisions or a lack of successors.

In the retail sector, online returns in Germany are projected to reach a record 560 million packages in 2026. This growth is attributed to the expansion of e-commerce and mobile shopping habits. The fashion industry is the most affected, accounting for over 80% of returned packages. High return volumes are creating margin pressure for retailers, leading some to pass costs to consumers or experiment with artificial intelligence to manage the process.

Entities

University of Bamberg · Germany · Creditreform · Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research · Björn Asdecker

Timeline

  1. [BUSINESS] 11 sources
    Germany online returns projected to reach record 560 million in 2026

    Germany's online returns are expected to hit a record 560 million packages in 2026, driven by smartphone shopping and high return rates in the fashion sector.

  2. [BUSINESS] 2 sources
    Germany business closures reach 188,000 in 2025

    Germany saw approximately 188,000 business closures in 2025, a 10% increase from 2024. Only 13% of these were due to insolvency, with many closures driven by retirement or lack of successors.

Sources

ad-hoc-news.de · bergfreunde.de · ehi.org · epochtimes.de · fehmarn24.de · finanzen.net · leinetal24.de · maurizioblondet.it · newsfeed.zeit.de · onetz.de · op-online.de · upday.com · wz.de