Online Retailers Set to Increase Sales in 2025 with Marketplace Strategies

Berlin, June 12, 2025

Germany’s e-commerce sector continues its upward trajectory in 2025 – albeit at a more measured pace than during the pandemic-fueled boom years. According to the latest figures from the German Retail Association (HDE), online retail sales are expected to reach around €91 billion this year, marking a 2.5% increase over 2024 ¹. One development is particularly clear: online marketplaces remain the engine of growth. A recent report by the Federal Association of E-Commerce and Distance Selling (bevh) projects that marketplace revenues will grow by 4.7% in 2025, reaching approximately €44 billion² – nearly half of total e-commerce volume.

This growth reflects a shift in consumer behavior. Shoppers are increasingly turning to platforms like Amazon, eBay, OTTO, and Kaufland – drawn by convenience, product variety, and trust in familiar brands. While many businesses still rely solely on their own online shops, the trend is moving decisively toward a platform economy. Companies that maintain a presence on multiple marketplaces not only expand their reach – they also see a measurable uplift in sales.

At the same time, social commerce is emerging as a powerful sales channel. Shopify forecasts that in 2025, more than 17% of global online purchases will take place via social platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook³ – and that share is growing. While the channel is still developing in Germany, more and more retailers are recognizing its potential to reach and connect with target audiences on an emotional and direct level.

This article explores why marketplace sales will remain a crucial growth driver for online retailers in 2025. We combine up-to-date market research with exclusive data from the magnalister network, and offer real-world examples of successful multichannel strategies. We also highlight how magnalister supports online sellers with the tools they need to manage complex marketplace operations – efficiently and at scale.

Why Marketplace Sales Are Essential for Online Retailers

Selling through one’s own online store offers many advantages: full control over branding, customer data, and profit margins. But in an increasingly fragmented digital landscape, that’s no longer enough to ensure long-term visibility and competitiveness. Today’s consumers shop where they can find the widest selection, easy price comparisons, and a frictionless experience – advantages that marketplaces deliver by design.

Marketplaces are no longer just an add-on sales channel. They’ve become central to the digital purchase journey, offering massive reach, built-in customer loyalty, and access to millions of ready-to-buy consumers – nationally and internationally. For retailers, they also bring operational benefits through established infrastructure and standardized processes for payments, shipping, and more.

Key advantages of selling on marketplaces include:

• Greater visibility and reach: Platforms like Amazon, eBay, and Kaufland connect retailers directly with high-intent shoppers and benefit from enormous organic traffic.
• Built-in trust for smaller brands: Lesser-known retailers can leverage the credibility and customer trust that established platforms have already earned.
• Efficiency at scale: With the right integration, merchants can list products across multiple channels without duplicating effort or resources.
• Data-driven optimization: Most marketplaces offer detailed performance analytics that help sellers continually refine their listings and strategy.

In 2025, as shoppers increasingly prioritize convenience and variety, being present on marketplaces isn’t just smart – it’s strategic. Retailers who embrace multichannel early not only gain a competitive edge, but also reduce their dependence on ad spend and the volatility of platform algorithms.

Marketplaces Power E-Commerce Growth: Key Studies and Industry Insights

The German e-commerce sector continues its steady expansion in 2025. According to a joint forecast from the Federal Association of E-Commerce and Distance Selling (bevh) and the EHI Retail Institute, online retail sales are expected to grow by 2.5%⁴ – a sign of renewed stability after several volatile years.

One segment stands out in particular: online marketplaces. In the first quarter of 2025 alone, marketplaces recorded a 5.1% increase in revenue compared to the same period the previous year. In contrast, traditional online shops saw only marginal growth of 1.2%⁵, highlighting the increasing dominance of platform-based commerce.

Another major force shaping the market is social commerce. According to Statista, the global social commerce market is projected to reach $1.23 trillion by the end of 2025⁶. This trend is gaining traction in Germany as well – especially among younger demographics who are increasingly turning to platforms like Instagram and TikTok for their online shopping.

Here are some additional data points that underscore the momentum behind marketplace-driven commerce:

• Marketplace share of total e-commerce: In 2024, marketplaces generated €44 billion in sales – up 4.7%⁷ year-over-year. Their share of total e-commerce volume rose from 53% in 2023 to 55%⁸ in 2024.
• E-commerce share of overall retail sales: E-commerce is expected to account for 15.5% of total retail sales in Germany by the end of 2025, with projections reaching up to 18.0%⁹ under more optimistic scenarios.
• Social commerce on the rise: Globally, social commerce is on a sharp upward trajectory, with Generations Y and Z driving adoption. The market is forecasted to hit $1.23 trillion by 2025¹⁰.
• Strong growth in online retail: In February 2025, Germany’s mail order and online retail sector posted a 10.3% increase in real sales compared to the same month the previous year¹¹.
• More people shopping online: The number of online shoppers in Germany is expected to climb to 43.95 million by 2025, up from 30.34 million in 2020 – a 45% increase in just five years¹².
• B2B e-commerce expansion: The B2B sector is also on the rise, with significant revenue growth anticipated through Q1 2025 as more businesses shift procurement and sales operations online¹³.

Together, these figures highlight a clear trend: marketplaces are no longer just a part of e-commerce – they are the driving force behind its future.

magnalister Data Confirms Marketplace Momentum in 2025

magnalister’s internal business intelligence tells a clear story: the shift toward marketplace-driven commerce is accelerating in 2025. A year-over-year analysis of aggregated usage data across all customers – comparing Q1 2024 to Q1 2025 – reveals compelling indicators of growth:

• More product listings: The number of products uploaded to marketplaces via magnalister rose by 3.25%. This reflects a deliberate push by retailers to expand their reach and tap into new customer segments.
• Revenue growth through increased order volume: Orders imported from marketplaces into connected shop systems – one of the clearest signals of revenue performance – climbed by 8.5%. The numbers confirm that merchants are generating significantly more sales through their marketplace integrations.
• Broader multichannel strategies: The average number of active marketplace connections per customer increased from 2.46 to 2.52. While modest, this growth points to a strategic shift: more sellers are embracing cross-platform selling as a core part of their business model.
• Marketplace landscape: Amazon leads, Kaufland climbs: Amazon remains the most frequently connected marketplace among magnalister users. It’s followed by eBay, OTTO, and a rapidly growing Kaufland. Notably, Kaufland has gained significant ground compared to Q1 2024 – positioning itself as a strong alternative for small to mid-sized retailers and specialized product ranges.

“Our data clearly shows that in 2025, online retailers are expanding their marketplace presence – not just to drive revenue, but to increase visibility and reduce dependence on any single channel,” says Florian Müller from the magnalister marketing team.

Case Study: Kratzbaumland – How a Marketplace Strategy Drove 54% Revenue Growth

Kratzbaumland is an online retailer specializing in premium cat accessories, with a unique focus on customizable scratching posts made in Germany. As competition in the pet supplies market intensified, the company sought to expand its reach and tap into new customer segments beyond its own online store. The solution: a focused multichannel strategy executed across leading marketplaces – with magnalister as the integration engine.

Challenge: Until 2018, Kratzbaumland operated exclusively through its own online shop. Traffic was primarily driven by paid ads (SEA) and organic search, making visibility both costly and vulnerable. Although marketplace expansion was on the roadmap, the company lacked the internal resources to implement it efficiently.

Solution with magnalister

Kratzbaumland leveraged magnalister to quickly and seamlessly integrate with:

• Amazon (Germany, France, Italy, and Spain)
• eBay and Rakuten

Key functionalities included automated synchronization of product data, pricing, and inventory from their Shopware backend, along with centralized order import – streamlining fulfillment and customer service across channels.

Results within 6 months

• +54% revenue growth compared to the same period the year before (Q2 + Q3)
• Nearly 20,000 marketplace orders per quarter, totaling over €520,000 in volume via Amazon and eBay alone

“magnalister allowed us to launch multiple new sales channels without additional IT overhead. For a niche brand like ours, visibility is everything – and marketplaces help us achieve exactly that,” says Florian Müller from the magnalister marketing team.

The Kratzbaumland story is a strong example of how a targeted marketplace strategy – powered by the right technology – can significantly enhance visibility, scalability, and revenue in a competitive niche.

magnalister: The Scalable Engine Behind High-Performance Multichannel Commerce

Multichannel commerce shouldn’t create complexity – it should create competitive advantage. To achieve that, retailers need a reliable, scalable solution that connects systems, automates workflows, and frees up valuable resources. magnalister does exactly that: it serves as the intelligent bridge between a shop system and leading national and international marketplaces.

The software integrates seamlessly with major platforms like Shopware, Shopify, WooCommerce, Gambio, PrestaShop, xt:Commerce, Magento, Adobe Commerce, and more – giving retailers centralized control of all marketplace operations directly from their existing backend.

Key features and benefits of magnalister include:

• Automated product listings on Amazon, eBay, Kaufland, OTTO, METRO, Check24, and other major marketplaces
• Unified order management: All incoming marketplace orders are automatically imported into the shop system
• Real-time sync of prices and inventory across all connected sales channels
• Frictionless scalability: New marketplaces can be connected in minutes – no developer resources required
• Rock-solid stability, thanks to long-standing API partnerships and a continuously updated infrastructure
• Built-in monitoring and error handling directly in the plugin – for full visibility and control

Whether you’re launching your first marketplace channel or scaling an enterprise-level multichannel strategy, magnalister gives you the tools to expand your reach, streamline your operations, and grow your revenue sustainably.

With its combination of usability, scalability, and deep marketplace integration, magnalister is the go-to solution for e-commerce sellers aiming to compete – and win – in a fast-moving digital market.

Conclusion and Outlook: Multichannel Is More Than a Strategy – It’s a Growth Engine

Emerging market dynamics, independent studies, and magnalister’s own BI insights all tell the same story: marketplaces will remain a driving force in e-commerce growth through 2025 and beyond. Retailers that invest early in a smart, scalable multichannel strategy are not just tapping into new revenue streams – they’re building long-term resilience in an increasingly competitive landscape.

The Kratzbaumland case shows what’s possible: even niche brands can dramatically expand their reach and efficiency through a targeted marketplace approach. But success doesn’t come from presence alone. It’s the technology behind it – automation, data synchronization, and centralized order management – that turns complexity into performance.

This is exactly where magnalister comes in: empowering merchants to navigate multichannel commerce with minimal effort, and turning what was once a cost factor into a sustainable growth driver.

As we head into the peak shopping months, marketplace visibility will only become more critical. And with the rise of social commerce, the lines between marketplaces and platforms like TikTok and Instagram are rapidly blurring – creating new opportunities for retailers ready to act.

The takeaway? Multichannel isn’t just a trend – it’s a competitive necessity.

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