Germany-based e-commerce giant Otto grew its gross merchandise value (GMV) by 6% in the 2025/26 fiscal year, reaching approximately 7.5 billion euros. With this performance, the company delivered growth above the online retail market in Germany. According to industry data, e-commerce spending in Germany increased by only 3.2% during the same period.
The marketplace model played the most critical role in Otto’s growth. While the total number of business partners on the platform reached 6,100, marketplace GMV recorded a 9% increase. In contrast, growth in Otto’s own retail operations remained at 3%. The number of products offered on the platform rose to 19 million, demonstrating the impact of its broad product variety strategy.
Otto’s Strongest Growth Came in the Fashion and Sports Segment
On a category basis, the strongest performance was seen in the fashion and sports segment with 9% growth, while the home and living category also drew attention with a 7% increase. This indicates that consumer demand is shifting toward lifestyle and personal-use products.
Growth also continued on the customer side. Ot to’s number of active customers increased by 4% to reach 12.6 million. The company attributes this increase to improvements in user experience and optimizations made in logistics processes. Given the competitive structure of e-commerce across Europe, this growth on the customer side carries strategic importance.
Advertising Revenue Increased by 49%
Another notable area was retail media revenues. Revenue generated through Otto’s own advertising platform, Otto Advertising, increased by 49%, making it one of the company’s fastest-growing business lines. This trend shows that the “retail media” model, also adopted by players such as Amazon and Zalando, is rapidly becoming widespread in Europe.
The company’s CEO, Dr. Boris Ewenstein, stated that the results achieved not only preserved Otto’s leading position in Germany, but also strengthened its potential to increase market share.
A Target of 10 Billion Euros in Revenue by 2028
Artificial intelligence and international expansion hold an important place in Otto’s growth strategy. The company is targeting 10 billion euros in revenue by the 2028 fiscal year. In line with this goal, hyper-personalization, AI-supported shopping assistants, and data-driven recommendation systems will be implemented.
In addition, the marketplace model is being opened to international sellers. Following the inclusion of sellers from the Netherlands on the platform, sellers from Poland, Austria, France, and Spain are also planned to join the system. As of 2027, Danish retailers are also expected to take part on the platform.
As competition in the European e-commerce market continues to intensify, Otto’s growth strategy focused on data, marketplace development, and artificial intelligence may position the company more strongly in the coming period.