Germany in the winter of 2020 was a country in the grip of a renewed partial lockdown to contain the spread of coronavirus. City streets were relatively empty. One exception: the increased numbers of young cyclists braving the cold temperatures with large insulated boxes on their backs, delivering hot food to customers at home.

Whether it’s food and groceries, clothes and shoes, or electronics and entertainment, online purchases have risen dramatically during the pandemic. According to the German Retail Federation (HDE), e-commerce in 2020 accounted for 12.6 percent of retail revenue in Germany, up from 10.8 percent in 2019. For comparison, in 2010 that figure was just 4.7 percent. But with more and more Germans shopping online, sustainability has become a pertinent issue, one which encompasses carbon emissions, packaging and product sourcing. That’s prompted something of a sea change in the sector.

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