Berlin, 31 August 2026 – Higher revenue, but lower returns: retailers are looking ahead with cautious optimism, yet economic pressure remains high. 55% of retailers surveyed by Unzer expect revenue to increase over the next 12 months. At the same time, 62% expect their gross margins to decline.

Rising prices, cautious consumer spending and high price sensitivity continue to shape the day-to-day reality for many retailers. 91% say rising prices are weighing on their business. 84% see generally cautious consumer spending as a major or fairly major challenge, while 83% cite their customers’ high price sensitivity.

Rather than pulling back, many businesses are still investing in new ways to reach customers. 81% of respondents have already connected their sales and communication channels, are in the process of doing so or plan to do so. Customers see the difference in everyday shopping: they can browse online, reserve products, collect them in-store, choose delivery or return purchases more easily.

“Customers do not distinguish between an online shop, a physical store and the payment process. They expect their shopping experience to work seamlessly,” says Pascal Beij, Chief Commercial Officer at Unzer. “Smaller and mid-sized retailers in particular need solutions that connect their channels and processes in a meaningful way, rather than creating further complexity.”

That expectation is not yet a reality everywhere: 29% of respondents still manage their sales channels separately. Retailers cite a lack of specialist staff, building new channels and working with external service providers as the main barriers. At the same time, 89% believe that centrally supporting the customer journey across channels would lead to higher customer satisfaction.

The shopping experience is also changing at the checkout. 53% of respondents already offer Buy Now, Pay Later options, such as invoice payments or instalments. A further 15% plan to introduce them by the end of 2026. More than half see these options as a way to increase their customers’ willingness to spend.

Wero is also becoming more visible in retail, although the picture remains mixed: 25% of surveyed retailers already offer the European payment method, while a further 24% plan to introduce it by the end of 2026. At the same time, almost a third currently have no plans to introduce it, and nearly one in five has not yet heard of Wero. The new wallet has therefore arrived in retail, but is not yet a standard part of the checkout experience.

Agentic commerce takes the conversation a step further. In this model, AI assistants take on parts of the shopping process on behalf of customers, such as product research, price comparisons and, in the future, payments. 54% of respondents consider the topic highly or somewhat relevant to their business within the next one to three years. However, many retailers still see open questions around liability, technical integration and secure payment authorisation.

“New technologies will only succeed if they create trust,” says Pascal Beij. “This applies to new payment methods just as much as it does to AI-powered shopping experiences. Customers need to remain in control, and retailers need to understand what is happening behind the scenes.”

Unzer helps businesses process payments simply and securely while making their day-to-day operations easier to manage. Whether in-store, online or on the go, Unzer provides payment terminals, online payments, proprietary payment methods such as invoice payments and instalments, as well as software for point-of-sale and daily operations. This means retailers do not need separate providers and systems for every task; instead, they can bring payments, sales and key business data together in one place.

About the survey

For the Unzer Retail Report 2026, IFH Cologne surveyed 109 retailers in Germany in July 2026 about their economic situation, payment methods and Buy Now, Pay Later. The survey provides insights into the views and current challenges of retail businesses of different sizes. Around half of the participants represent companies with annual revenues of at least €50 million. The results are not representative of the German retail sector as a whole.

About Unzer

Unzer helps merchants digitalise their business with simple and integrated payment and software solutions. Our platform connects payments, software, and financial services in one ecosystem – enabling merchants to sell online and in-store. Built for small and mid-sized businesses, Unzer makes commerce simpler and more efficient. More than 90,000 merchants across Europe already use Unzer’s ecosystem. The company employs around 750 people across eight offices in Germany, Austria, Denmark, and Luxembourg.

Press contact

Dr. Lydia Prexl (Director of Communications)
Phone: +49 172 5638402
communications@unzer.com