From Mail Order To E-Commerce: Competition, Regulation, and Politics of Nonstore Retailing in Germany

In this article we analyze the evolution of nonstore retailing in Germany. We examine the foundations of German e-commerce with a history of mail-order retailing, and analyze how its distinct regulatory environment and continuity in consumer practices affected the way in which e-commerce developed in Germany. In particular, regulations and the politics of retail trade in Germany played a role in shaping competition between the storefront and nonstore sectors. This study builds upon the analysis for Japan and the United States already conducted elsewhere, and shows how e-commerce evolved as an extension of the longstanding tradition of nonstore retailing and the competitive strength the sector developed vis-à-vis the storefront sector.