- According to a new study by Postbank Above all, Germans under 40 want to limit their internet use.
- One third of the German population expanded online shopping during the Corona crisis.
- 27 percent already know when ordering online, that they send the goods back
While 30 percent of the surveyed German citizens under 40 would like to surf less, only six percent of older users aged 40 and over think Digital Detox is good. Overall, Germans spend an average of 65 hours a week online. That is almost nine hours more than a year ago. This is the result of the representative Postbank digital study 2021.
“In the absence of alternatives, Germans spent a considerable part of their free time online during lockdown. Even if many activities, from meeting friends virtually to practicing hobbies, can also be done online, many German citizens do not want this to become permanent. Nevertheless, it is to be expected that the digital offers used in the pandemic will still play a role afterwards, ”explains Thomas Brosch, Head of Digital Sales at Postbank.
Digital Detox: Younger people especially want to do without social media
If you want to limit your private internet use, you have your sights set on social media. 43 percent of Germans with digital detox plans want to get away from it all on Facebook, Instagram and Co. 31 percent would like to watch fewer YouTube videos, just as many want to use fewer online games. And 30 percent generally want less information on the Internet. The latter is especially true for Germans aged 40 and over. Of them, 45 percent would like to reduce the search for information on the Internet. Those under 40, on the other hand, want to limit their use of social media (47 percent) and YouTube (34 percent) more than the average.
Every third German buys more often online during the Corona crisis
However, the good intentions end when it comes to the Germans’ desire to shop. During the Corona crisis, 34 percent of German citizens expanded their online purchases. 35 percent of those surveyed actually did more than half of their online purchases during lockdown. Above all, books and films were ordered: 62 percent of those surveyed are now more likely to buy these goods online than in stationary stores. The big hit, however, was the beautification of one’s own home. In the Corona year, the purchase of home accessories online recorded the strongest increase of all product categories and rose by nine percentage points to 33 percent.
“The Corona crisis has accelerated the already existing trend towards online shopping once again,” explains Brosch. “Not only big corporations like Amazon & Co. benefit from this. During the pandemic, many small and medium-sized businesses also recognized the opportunities offered by online trading and opened a web shop or expanded their range of products. For them, the crisis was a forced opportunity to make their sales more future-proof. ”
Online shopping is changing consumer behavior among Germans
The consumption behavior of Germans has changed significantly as a result of increasing online shopping. Online shopping tempts more than a third of online shoppers to buy unnecessary items. In the case of those under 40, it is even almost two thirds. In addition, more than a quarter of German citizens order goods much more often than before, although they know that they will send them back. For example, almost half of those under 40 have ordered clothes in different sizes more often.
About the methodology of the study: For the “Postbank Digital Study 2021 – the digital Germans”, 3,048 Germans were surveyed in January and February 2021. The Postbank With the study for the seventh year in a row, investigates which developments are emerging in the various areas of life of German citizens with regard to digitization in general and financial issues. In order to map a structure representative of the population, the sample was weighted according to federal state (proportionalization), age and gender. (sg)
Also read: Internet use: This is how much it increased during the corona pandemic
