Germany is one of the biggest economies in the world with a population of 82 million. Otto is Germany’s biggest online retailer for fashion and lifestyle products with worldwide online sales of just under €7.8 billion and growing at over 10% a year. Around 45% of all German households will have shopped at Otto so if you want to appeal to the German audience, this marketplace should be an attractive expansion for your business.
At the recent Retail Without Borders conference, we sat down with Hanna Pfeiler, Manager Partner Integrations at Otto, to find out how to get started selling on the marketplace in Germany and other Northern and Eastern European countries.
Currently fashion, sport, furniture and lifestyle products are their biggest categories, but the marketplace is actively looking to increase the range of products on their site so don’t be put off if your products fall outside their traditional categories.
Otto require high quality data from retailers including images, product descriptions and attributes and it’ll all need to be in German until you start attacking their overseas marketplaces. For most retailers, there will be an integration path and they will work with you to get your product data into the format required.
Branded shops are offered within the marketplace to manage your brand within Otto, but they don’t limit themselves to just brands however, they’re also looking for retailers who have a wide range of products to offer.
If you want to sell on Otto then the first steps will be to apply and a category manager will be assigned to look at your product assortment. They’ll also discuss technical requirements for your product data and run over logistical arrangements.
Naturally Pentagon who host Retail Without Borders can assist you in getting set up on Otto, as can the DTI. If you’d like to go it alone then as Otto is an invite only marketplace your first step will be to contact them at [email protected] and express interest in becoming an partner.
