Which eCommerce Market Next: Germany, France or Spain?

How to choose your next eCommerce market in Europe? The three questions to answer before launching in Germany, France or Spain.

Laura Dominguez, co-founder LDMM Agency

7/27/20262 min read

European cross-border eCommerce is thriving. According to Cross-Border Commerce Europe, the market reached €358.7 billion in 2024/2025.

For ambitious brands, the question is therefore no longer simply, “Should we expand internationally?” but rather, “Which market should we enter first – and in what order?”

Germany, France and Spain: three markets, three playbooks

Germany is one of Europe’s largest eCommerce markets. Customers tend to expect detailed product information, transparent policies and a reliable purchasing experience.

Payment habits are also highly specific. According to the EHI’s Online Payment 2025 study, PayPal accounted for 28.5% of German online retail revenue in 2024, while payment by invoice represented 25.8%.

Germany offers significant potential, but it is also a highly competitive market in which vague messaging, poor localization and gaps in the customer journey can quickly undermine trust.

France combines a large, mature eCommerce market with strong expectations around branding, communication and the overall customer experience.

Card payments are central to the French checkout. The regulated soldes periods also shape the retail calendar: their dates and duration are set by law and apply to online retailers as well as physical shops.

Spain continues to record strong eCommerce growth. It also presents intense competition, particularly around price, convenience and marketplace visibility. Mobile-first customer journeys and social platforms can play an important role in product discovery, depending on the category and target audience.

The opportunity is considerable in all three markets. But each requires a different strategy.

Three questions to answer before choosing a market

Whichever market you are considering, three questions require a data-backed answer before you invest.

First, how does your target audience search for your products locally? Which terms do they use, what are the search volumes and how intense is the competition?

Hint: the answer will rarely be found by simply translating your existing keywords.

Second, which payment methods, delivery options and service standards do customers expect at checkout?

Third, does your brand appear – or could it appear – when someone asks ChatGPT, Google or another AI-powered system for recommendations in your category and target country?

That final question falls within the field of GEO: Generative Engine Optimization.

If any of these questions remains unanswered, that uncertainty represents a potential weakness in your expansion strategy.

Our approach: making decisions with local data

At LDMM Agency, we begin every international expansion project with a market analysis.

We examine local search demand, the competitive landscape, legal requirements, payment expectations and the behavior of the target audience.

The result is a practical basis for decision-making – not a hunch.

Because we work in German, French, Spanish and Italian, our analyses are carried out by people who understand the language, terminology and context of the market they are assessing.

Which market is on your roadmap for 2027?

Let’s discuss it during a free initial consultation. We will show you which factors we would examine first for your sector.