Selling power banks and chargers in Germany: what a buyer checks before anything else.
Charging products were one of the categories that crossed my desk most often as a buyer. Every week a new power bank, a new GaN charger, a new “best price in the market”. Some of them were really good. Most of them never got a chance, and the reason was almost never the product itself.
If you make power banks, chargers or cables and you are thinking about Germany, this is what I would tell you over a coffee. Not a legal guide, but how it looks from the other side of the table.
The short version: in charging, German buyers look at two things at the same time. Is this product clearly better at something customers care about, and is it safe to put on my shelf? A charger that overheats is a problem for the retailer, not only for you. Answer both questions early, and you are already ahead of most offers in their inbox.
What I looked at first: the product.
Charging is a crowded shelf. A new product only gets space if it is clearly better at something that matters to a customer standing in the shop. These were the things I checked:
- The real capacity. Buyers know the difference between cell capacity and what actually arrives at the phone. If the packaging promises more than a customer experiences, the returns come back to the retailer, and so does the anger.
- Weight and size. In power banks this decides more than people think. “Fits in a jacket pocket” sells. A brick does not, unless it is meant to be one.
- The charging story. USB-C, power delivery, how many devices at once, laptop or not, MagSafe-style or not. One clear sentence, not a table of twenty specs.
- Safety and quality. Who makes the cells, what protection is inside, what the return rate looks like in other markets. A buyer who has had one swollen power bank in the shop never forgets it.
- The price ladder. Most retailers already have a cheap, a middle and a premium step. Your product has to sit clearly on one of them and beat what is there, or open a step that is missing.
Know who carries what, and say it early.
Charging is a category where a buyer cannot take risks with paperwork, because a problem lands on the retailer too. You do not have to solve everything yourself. But you need to know who does it.
WEEE, battery and packaging registrations. If a German importer or distributor brings the goods in, they usually carry these. If you sell directly to German customers, for example on a marketplace, they are yours and you need an authorised representative in Germany.
Always yours, whoever imports. A Declaration of Conformity and test reports that match the exact product you ship. If the report shows a different model number, that is the end of the conversation.
Lithium batteries need a UN 38.3 test summary and correct dangerous goods handling. If the forwarder or the retailer’s warehouse cannot accept the goods, the listing does not matter.
“Registrations: covered by our partner in Germany. CE and UN 38.3 reports attached.” Two lines like that in your first message take a big question off the buyer’s desk.
A great factory price is not a great shelf price.
Between your factory and the customer in Germany sit freight, duty, VAT, the importer or distributor, the retailer’s margin and the promotions everybody runs. A product that looks cheap in dollars can end up in the wrong price step in euros.
So before talking to a buyer, work backwards: start from the price a German customer would pay in the shop, take out VAT and the retailer’s margin, and see what is left. If the answer only works without promotions, it does not work.
One more thing buyers check: your price online. If your own product is cheaper on a marketplace than the retailer could ever sell it, the conversation is over before it started.
Three products, one reason, no catalogue.
Two made-up messages, but you will recognise the first one.
What buyers get every day
“We are a leading power bank factory with 300 models, OEM and ODM available, competitive price, CE certified. Catalogue attached.”
What gets a reply
“A 10,000 mAh power bank at 180 g with a built-in USB-C cable, fast enough for a laptop. Your range has nothing like it under €40. Registrations in Germany are covered, stock in Europe. Can I send you two samples?”
The second one tells the buyer where it fits, why it is better, that the risk is handled, and asks for something small. That is it.
If you make good charging products, Germany is worth it.
It is a demanding market, and buyers here are careful. But once you are in, they stay loyal to suppliers who deliver what they promise. If you have a product you believe in and want to know whether it has a real chance here, I am happy to look at it with you. Honestly, including when the answer is “not yet”.
Marco PenningFounder, LUMVEO · Hamburg
Take the 2-minute check ↓Where do you stand? Eight questions, two minutes.
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Short answers.
Do I need a German company to sell power banks in Germany?
No. But without a company in Germany you need an authorised representative there for the WEEE and battery registrations. Many brands start with a German partner, importer or distributor who covers this.
Will Amazon.de accept my power bank without registrations?
Marketplaces increasingly ask for the registration numbers and can block listings without them. Plan the paperwork before you plan the launch.
Is it too late to enter the German power bank market?
The shelf is full, yes. But full shelves get changed when something is clearly better, lighter, safer or more useful for a specific customer. Me-too products struggle. Products with a clear reason do not.
Should I start with retail or online?
It depends on the product and the price. Online gives you reviews and data faster. Specialist and mobile retail gives you credibility. Many brands use one to open the door to the other.
This is my experience and view, not legal advice. Registration rules change, so always check the current requirements with stiftung ear or a compliance specialist before you ship.