mydealz is Germany’s leading shopping and deals community, with tens of millions of monthly users. As a result, mydealz data reveals a lot about consumer behaviour in the country. We dug into the search data and picked out three striking consumer trends from the first three months of 2025.
As inflation bites and sustainability climbs higher on the agenda, new search data from Atolls and mydealz reveals a shift in consumer priorities in early 2025: Germans are trading tech upgrades for energy independence.
While once-coveted consumer electronics like the iPhone, iPad and laptops have seen drops in search interest compared to Q4 2024 (all at least -20%), a different category is heating up fast — literally.
Solar power to the people
Searches for “Wechselrichter” (inverters) soared by +79%, while “LiFePO4” batteries — prized for their safety and long lifecycle in solar applications — jumped +74%. The term “Balkonkraftwerk” (which directly translates as “balcony power plant” and is a small solar power system that can be installed on a balcony or in a garden rather than on a roof) surged by +50%, showing growing enthusiasm for do-it-yourself solar solutions that help households reduce their energy bills and carbon footprint.
The upward trend mirrors rising interest in self-sufficiency and cost-cutting amidst rising energy prices and regulatory pressure to go green. With Germany continuing to support small-scale solar installation through incentives and feed-in tariffs, it’s clear that many are seizing the opportunity.
Tech interest declining – or just a seasonal trend?
Alongside the solar surge, some big-name tech brands saw declines in 2025 compared to Q4 2024:
- Apple searches fell -39%
- Samsung dropped -33%
- Xiaomi lagged -25%
However, the declines aren’t so surprising when you consider Q4 2025 included Black Friday and Christmas, when searches for all of these brands and products spike. Therefore, this trend could be more indicative of seasonal differences in consumer buying trends than a broader trend at this stage. Nonetheless, it’s something that will be interesting to keep an eye on and return to later in the year.
Telsa takes a hit
Given the extensive coverage of Tesla in recent months and its reported sales drop in Europe, we decided to see if mydealz searches reflected this wider trend. And it turns out they do.
In Q1 2025, searches dropped almost 56% compared to Q4 2024. And this time it seems to be more than a seasonal trend; searches were also 23% lower than in Q3 2024 and 35% lower than in Q2 2024.
One of the winners from this looks to be South Korean car manufacturer Kia. Searches for Kia and their car models increased 13% in Q1 2025 compared to Q4 2024; even more striking is that searches were 257% higher than in Q2 2024.
A shift in mindset?
While some of the tech decline may be seasonal, the simultaneous rise in solar, energy, and value-related searches points to a broader transformation. Germans aren’t necessarily spending less — they’re spending differently.
They’re investing in independence, looking for value, and prioritising practical over flashy. For brands, that means 2025 could be the year to lead with function, sustainability, and long-term value over shiny upgrades.
This article is based on exclusive Atolls data. If you have further questions or would like additional insights, get in touch at benjamin.smye@atolls.com.
