Rank change from 2013:
0
Brand Simplicity Score:
993
Industry:
Retail/Grocery

ALDI comes out on top of the Germany Simplicity Index once again this year. The no-frills supermarket chain recently lost co-founder and food retail pioneer Karl Albrecht, who passed away in July. But the ALDI legacy of great value and clarity of offerings lives on. Respondents praise the brand’s consistency and efficiency across locations, concluding, “When you know [one] ALDI, you know them all.”
Also view in:
Rank change from 2013:
+2
Brand Simplicity Score:
980
Industry:
Internet search

Moving up two places this year, Google, the perennially popular search engine, is a Simplicity Index fixture everywhere. No surprise, considering its transparent and user-friendly interface. Respondents give Google kudos for its reliability and as a destination where “You can find anything.” Add predictive and quick-response search functionality, and the sum total is simplicity.
Also view in:
Rank change from 2013:
0
Brand Simplicity Score:
930
Industry:
Internet retail

Online retail giant Amazon holds on to the #3 spot as it continues to expand within the country—the company’s largest market after the United States. Though Amazon has had complicating issues with German workers and suffered through numerous strikes over the past year, respondents still applaud the brand’s “clear and unambiguous” communications and the convenience of a wide selection of products under one roof.
Also view in:
Rank change from 2013:
+4
Brand Simplicity Score:
908
Industry:
Retail/Grocery

German discount retailer Penny Markt continues its climb up the rankings, jumping from #8 in 2013 to #4 this year. The brand is coming off a successful year, launching an entirely new range of own-brand products to distinguish itself in the highly competitive discount retail arena. Respondents say Penny Markt’s offerings are straightforward, their stores conveniently located and promotional material simple and clear.
Rank change from 2013:
+1
Brand Simplicity Score:
904
Industry:
Retail/Grocery
Rank change from 2013:
-4
Brand Simplicity Score:
899
Industry:
Restaurants
Rank change from 2013:
-2
Brand Simplicity Score:
876
Industry:
Media

A mix of tabloid fodder and hard-news content has helped make BILD the best-selling daily in Germany and across Europe, too. Respondents happily subscribe to the paper’s use of images, and simple language, and its ability to summarize important information in a clear way. Or, as one respondent put it simply, “One does not need to be smart” to understand BILD.
Rank change from 2013:
-1
Brand Simplicity Score:
874
Industry:
Retail/General

Holding strong in the Top 10, IKEA, the purveyor of build-it-yourself furniture,actually finds its biggest market in Germany. Apparently, many Germans see IKEA’s minimalist, space-friendly products as stylish and culturally in synch—a view that has helped earn the brand the #8 spot this year.
Also view in:
Rank change from 2013:
0
Brand Simplicity Score:
873
Industry:
Appliances

Briskly efficient Miele—a family firm that manufactures high-end domestic appliances and commercial equipment—says it strives to be “Forever better.” And respondents say the quality and durability of its products deliver on that promise. The manufacturer is continually moving forward, too, offering simple and technologically advanced solutions such as a dryer that sends its owner an email when the filter needs cleaning.
Also view in:
Rank change from 2013:
+1
Brand Simplicity Score:
871
Industry:
Internet retail

High-profile coffee producer and retailer Tchibo rounds out the Top 10 on Germany’s Simplicity Index. Germany’s largest chain of cafés and coffee shops is famous for its weekly refresh of products (“Every week a new world”), including clothing, household items, electronics and appliances. Now offering customization, Tchibo is making it simple for consumers to order their own personal blends online.
Rank change from 2013:
-3
Brand Simplicity Score:
486
Industry:
Utilities

The lights are on but consumers wonder whether anybody’s home at E.ON. The Düsseldorf-based energy company’s methods remain largely incomprehensible to consumers. Respondents complain about E.ON bills and complex pricing structures and the company’s “opaque” way of doing business, which turns out to be “very expensive.”
Also view in:
Rank change from 2013:
+9
Brand Simplicity Score:
450
Industry:
Travel/Air

“No frills” at the Dublin-headquartered Ryanair doesn’t translate into anything resembling simplicity—starting with its website. Respondents note that they get the feeling the airline tries to confuse the unsuspecting consumer so they can “catch” them in a web of hidden fees. Not surprisingly, customer service is seen as neither helpful nor sympathetic.
Also view in:
Rank change from 2013:
+4
Brand Simplicity Score:
427
Industry:
General insurance
Rank change from 2013:
+5
Brand Simplicity Score:
412
Industry:
General insurance

Financial services and real estate group Wustenrot took a major tumble last year when it fell 22 places into the Bottom 10 of the Germany Simplicity Index, which is where it remains. Respondents see Wustenrot as one big ineffective bureaucracy. Wustenrot lacks clarity in regard to costs and offers, which consumers say leaves them feeling confused and unhappy.
Rank change from 2013:
-3
Brand Simplicity Score:
408
Industry:
Travel/Train

This Berlin-based railway company seems to frustrate tourists and locals alike. Ticket machines are a prime target of complaints from respondents who find themselves derailed by incomprehensible pricing and head-scratching routes. But even those who bypass ticket machines and make their purchases online face frequent, and apparently unavoidable, delays. That’s simply no way to run a railroad.
Rank change from 2013:
0
Brand Simplicity Score:
400
Industry:
General insurance

The complexities that plague ERGO plague the entire insurance industry. Respondents say jargon at ERGO is widespread and debilitating, and that complicated presentations of terms and conditions leave them feeling confused and disoriented. Not to mention suspicious—respondents say they simply don’t trust ERGO.
Rank change from 2013:
+1
Brand Simplicity Score:
397
Industry:
General insurance

Like the other insurance companies near or at the bottom of Simplicity Index in Germany and around the world, AXA’s opaque approach to business is a complicating factor for consumers. Contracts, respondents say, are time-consuming to read and possess lots of hard-to-see “gotchas.” Customer service at AXA is also considered a less than simple experience—that’s if, respondents say, you can get through.
Also view in:
Rank change from 2013:
+6
Brand Simplicity Score:
387
Industry:
General insurance
Rank change from 2013:
+3
Brand Simplicity Score:
341
Industry:
General insurance

Generali didn’t have to fall far to drop to last place on the German Simplicity Index—it was only two spots from the bottom last year. It’s the same old story for the brand when it comes to concerns about insurance from respondents—complicated fees and conditions, too much paperwork, a lack of transparency that leads to mistrust, and prices that are considered too high.
Industry Simplicity Score:
950
Simplicity Premium:
3.7%
Industry Simplicity Score:
821
Simplicity Premium:
4.3%
Industry Simplicity Score:
793
Simplicity Premium:
4.3%
Industry Simplicity Score:
780
Simplicity Premium:
4.4%
Industry Simplicity Score:
774
Simplicity Premium:
3.7%
Industry Simplicity Score:
740
Simplicity Premium:
4.0%
Industry Simplicity Score:
721
Simplicity Premium:
4.0%
Industry Simplicity Score:
719
Simplicity Premium:
3.7%
Industry Simplicity Score:
687
Simplicity Premium:
4.2%
Industry Simplicity Score:
683
Simplicity Premium:
5.2%
Industry Simplicity Score:
681
Simplicity Premium:
3.0%
Industry Simplicity Score:
646
Simplicity Premium:
4.5%
Industry Simplicity Score:
589
Simplicity Premium:
3.7%
Industry Simplicity Score:
583
Simplicity Premium:
3.3%
Industry Simplicity Score:
578
Simplicity Premium:
4.2%
Industry Simplicity Score:
553
Simplicity Premium:
4.3%
Industry Simplicity Score:
548
Simplicity Premium:
3.7%
Industry Simplicity Score:
544
Simplicity Premium:
3.5%
Industry Simplicity Score:
516
Simplicity Premium:
4.1%
Industry Simplicity Score:
489
Simplicity Premium:
3.9%
Industry Simplicity Score:
477
Simplicity Premium:
3.9%
Industry Simplicity Score:
463
Simplicity Premium:
3.9%
Industry Simplicity Score:
454
Simplicity Premium:
3.4%
Industry Simplicity Score:
240
Simplicity Premium:
3.1%
The simplicity premium
Depending on the industry, up to 24% of people are willing to pay more for simpler experiences and interactions. The amount they are willing to pay varies by industry, but is significant.
For simpler experiences, people would pay:
Money to be made
All brands can benefit from simplifying, but not all may benefit equally. To understand which brands in Germany can reap the greatest financial reward, and what they need to do to command more for their services, download the full report.