FROM THE BUYING SIDE · AMAZON OR RETAIL

Amazon Germany or local partners first? An honest answer.

Almost every brand I talk to asks this question. And I understand why: Amazon.de feels like the fastest way into Germany, and often it is. But there is something most guides do not tell you. Your Amazon listing is the first thing a German buyer looks at, long before they reply to your email.

By Marco Penning, LUMVEO · 2 October 2026

So my honest answer is: it depends on your product, and on whether you start on Amazon the way you would want a retailer to see you.

Amazon is a great place to learn. It is a bad place to experiment carelessly, because everything you do there stays visible: the price, the stars, the one-star review about a broken cable, the weeks you were out of stock. Retailers see all of it.

THREE WAYS TO START

Which start fits your product?

Amazon first
Good if price and content are right from day one

Products people search for by name or by problem, with clear specs and easy comparison: cables, chargers, cases, small audio. You want quick signals and you can run listings, ads, stock and reviews properly.

Retail and partners first
Good if you can support the people selling it

Products people want to see, touch or have explained: premium audio, design accessories, smart home, anything with a story or a higher price. Or when one strong partner can open a whole category for you.

Both, in a planned order
Good if someone owns the plan

Where most brands end up. A controlled Amazon presence for reach and data, plus a few chosen retail or B2B partners for trust and volume, with one price logic across all of them.

WHAT A BUYER SEES

Your Amazon page is your first sales meeting. You are just not in the room.

Put yourself in the buyer’s chair for a moment. A new brand writes to them. Before they answer, they search for it. What do they find?

The price

If the online price is already below what they would need on their shelf, there is nothing left to talk about.

The stars

Twelve reviews at 3.6 stars say more than any brand presentation. Fix the product and the content before you push volume.

The stock

Often out of stock tells them you cannot plan supply. For a buyer, that is the scariest risk of all.

The care

Weak German texts and tired images suggest the brand is not really serious about Germany yet.

Amazon is a great test, if you treat it like one. Decide before you start what you want to learn, which price you will hold, and what result would justify going to retail next.

BEFORE YOU GO LIVE ON AMAZON.DE

Five things to get right first.

  1. Registration numbers. Amazon.de blocks listings without a valid LUCID packaging registration, and electronics need a WEEE registration. Have both before you go live.
  2. German VAT. If your stock sits in a German warehouse, Amazon’s included, you need a German VAT registration, wherever your company is.
  3. An EU contact in the listing. Under the GPSR, manufacturer details, the EU responsible person and safety information belong in the listing itself.
  4. Real German content. Titles, bullet points, images and brand content written for German customers. People notice machine translation, and so do buyers.
  5. A price you can stand behind. Set it with a retail margin in mind. Lowering a price later is easy. Raising it after a bad start almost never works.
A PERSONAL NOTE

One plan, not three experiments.

What I see go wrong most is not the choice of Amazon or retail. It is doing both without a plan, so the channels end up competing with each other. I help brands decide where to start, set one price logic that works everywhere, and build the partner side that a marketplace cannot replace. If you are standing at this decision right now, I am happy to think it through with you.

Marco PenningFounder, LUMVEO · Hamburg

Take the 2-minute check ↓
Getting into German retailEurope without a traditional distributorGermany market-entry pilotPower banks and chargers in Germany
GERMANY MARKET ENTRY CHECK

Where do you stand? Eight questions, two minutes.

Tell me where you are today and what is in the way. I read every check myself and reply personally with a first honest view.

GERMANY MARKET ENTRY CHECK · 2 MINUTES
01Where do you sell today?
02How do you sell in Europe right now?
03What is your product category?
04Typical retail price of your main product?
05What is your biggest challenge right now?
06What would success look like in 12 months?
07When do you want to start?
08Is there budget for market development in Germany in the next 6 months?
09How did you find LUMVEO? (optional)
✓Where should I send my answer?

I read every check myself and reply personally within one to two working days. Your answers are only used to reply to you. Privacy

QUESTIONS I HEAR OFTEN

Short answers.

Is Amazon enough to build a brand in Germany?

It can build sales, but rarely a brand on its own. Customers compare price and stars, and you sit next to many similar products. Retail partners, specialist shops and B2B add the visibility and trust a marketplace alone does not give you.

Will selling on Amazon hurt my chances with retailers?

Not automatically. It hurts when your marketplace price is below what a retailer needs, when reviews are weak or when stock keeps running out. A clean, fairly priced listing with good reviews can actually help a retail conversation.

Do I need a German company to sell on Amazon.de?

No. But you need the registrations, a German VAT number if stock is held in Germany, and an EU responsible person for product safety. Missing any of these can block your listings.

Should my retail partners also sell on Amazon?

Think about it before you sign anyone. Several sellers on one listing push the price down fast. Agree early who sells where and how, within what competition law allows.

SOURCES

My experience and view, not legal or tax advice. Please check registrations and VAT for your own setup with a specialist.