# German economic and retail trends

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/german-economic-and-retail-trends
> Updated: 2026-09-29T05:51:59.000Z. Sources: 13. Developments: 2.

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.

## Timeline

### 2026-09-29: 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.

11 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/germany-online-returns-projected-to-reach-record-560-million-in-2026

### 2026-08-31: 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.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/germany-business-closures-reach-188000-in-2025

---
Cite as: German economic and retail trends. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/german-economic-and-retail-trends