Do you have a store or a webshop and/or do you sell physical products? Then you can also sell your products through Otto. You will benefit from the reach of this popular German online store. This can bring you many extra customers and sales. But then you need to do it right! That's why this article tells you everything you need to know about selling as an external seller on Otto.
Content article:
- About Otto Group
- Selling on Otto Market
- Start selling with Otto Market
- Requirements for partners
- Required documents
- Advantages from selling on Otto
- Product specifications
- Otto Partner Connect
- Shipping methods & costs
- Automation assistance: integrators
About Otto Group
Otto began selling shoes back in 1949 as a German mail-order company. Now, over 70 years later, the company has become one of the largest online retailers worldwide. After Amazon, Otto is even the largest in Germany! On the site, you can buy everything from fashion and furniture to toys and electronics. The webshop has as many as 10 million active customers and is active in more than 30 countries worldwide.
In the fiscal year 2020/2021, which ended on February 28th of the last year, Otto Group's sales increased by 23 percent. With this, the counter ended at a whopping ten billion euros. With this, the online store giant distinguished itself from its competitors in the German e-commerce market. With more than 1,000 new partners, Otto's partner program made a major contribution here (Emerce).
Selling on Otto Market
Just like on Amazon, Zalando and Bol.com, on Otto you can also sell your products as an external party. For this purpose, Otto has launched a platform called "Otto Market". As an external seller, you can offer your products through Otto to a large and international audience.
Start selling with Otto market
Otto opens its marketplace step by step to new partners. To start selling your products through Otto, you need to complete the following steps:
1. Register as a potential partner using this form. Otto will evaluate your registration and check whether you are a suitable partner.
2. Wait until Otto sends you an invitation to become a partner. After receiving the invitation you can register and get the login data for the partner platform.
3. Complete your company profile with all the important information (master data).
4. Read and sign the contract you are entering into with Otto. This can be done digitally.
5. Otto checks whether you meet all the requirements (suitability check). This includes legal requirements and requirements from Otto itself.
6. On the dashboard you can see the status of the suitability check. Have you passed and filled out all the information? Then you can start adding your items.
7. You can add items to the product range via Otto Partner Connect. You can add all items and product details manually or using an integrator (see below).
Need more help getting started selling on Otto? Click on the arrow below to contact one of our specialists. .png?width=36&name=Pijl%20naar%20beneden%20(oranje).png){kind=small}
Selling on Otto: requirements for partners
To sell on Otto, you must meet the following general requirements:
- You have an establishment in Germany, designed according to a German legal form.
- You have a German VAT number.
- You are the seller and your customers are the end customers of the product. In other words, the webshop is not intended for wholesalers who sell items for stores and webshops to resell.
- You offer customer service in German.
- You ship your products and arrange returns from a German warehouse.
- You comply with the credit check.
- You offer your products with a uniform VAT rate of 19%.
You must also fulfill the following product requirements from Otto:
- You sell products in one or more of the following categories: fashion and lifestyle, furniture and home accessories, electronics and media, sports and hobby, garden and DIY.
- Otto prohibits products made from certain materials, such as animal fur, sandblasted textiles and Uzbek cotton (due to child labour). There are also extra rules attached to selling products made from certain materials. For example, products made of leather, feathers, down and wool.
- Otto prohibits the sale of products that go against their corporate values. For this reason, for example, you may not sell products that glorify the use of weapons or drugs.
- You must ship your products with Hermes, GLS or DHL.
If you have any questions about the requirements from Otto, please click the arrow below. Our specialists know everything about selling on Otto and are happy to help you!
Selling on Otto: required documents
Finally, you must provide Otto with the following information:- Know Your Customer (KYC): Otto is legally obliged to ask for so-called KYC documents. With this, Otto verifies your company data and identifies the legal representative of the company. This is to prevent money laundering and the financing of terrorism.
- Information about how you ship your products and how customers can return your products.
- Payment information (B2B).
- Information about you as a merchant: name, address, copy of identification document.
- Product specifications (see below).
Do you have questions about the required documents to sell on Otto? Then click on the arrow below and contact one of our specialists!
Why sell on Otto? The advantages!
Not everyone is admitted as a partner on Otto just like that. For example, it is more difficult to be accepted on Otto than on bol.com. Still, selling on Otto has many advantages:
- Otto has a large reach: 10 million active customers.
- By selling on Otto, you can easily sell your products internationally: Otto is active in more than 30 countries worldwide.
- It is the second largest online shop in Germany (after Amazon). If you want to launch your products in Germany, this webshop is therefore very suitable.
- Because it is more difficult to be accepted as a partner, you will have a better competitive position when you are accepted. Also, the filter options for customers are good, making it easier for customers to find your products.
- Do you sell fashion? Then Otto is the right choice for you: it is one of the largest webshops for fashion.
- Do you sell furniture? Then this webshop is also an obvious choice for you. Otto has better logistics for large furniture items (two-man-handling).
- Finally, Otto has extensive possibilities for retail media. Sponsored product ads and (banner) ads are fairly easy to book.
If you want to discuss the possibilities that Otto has to offer for your brand. Please fill out the form by clicking the arrow below. Our specialists have a lot of experience and know everything about selling on Otto. They are here to help you!
Product specifications
Before you can start selling, Otto requires product specifications for all your products. These include:- Brand
- Logo
- Product name
- Product Description
- 3-5 bullet points
- Information on various elements such as material, length, cup size, number of parts and
- package size
- Product number
- Category and subcategory according to Otto's list
Furthermore, Otto requires the following item information:
- Information on possible variations, such as colour and size
- Article number
- Gross sales price
- EAN code (European article numbering)
- Number in stock
- Shipping type (parcel or bulk)
- Delivery time (at least within 2 working days)
- Package dimensions and weight
- Country of origin
Do you want to know more about the product specifications or do you need help entering these data? Then contact one of our specialists by clicking on the arrow below and see what Brandsom can do for you.
Otto Partner Connect
Otto Partner Connect (OPC) is the control centre for external sellers on Otto. You will gain access to this portal after going through the registration process at Otto Market. In this portal, you will find all the important information.
In addition, the following functions are available now or soon:
- View and manage products
- Overview of order status and shipped products
- Summary of all payment transactions
- Sales analysis and assortment optimization
- Additional services and advertisements
Shipping methods
You can send your products to the customer via direct shipment: you send the products from your warehouse directly to the customer. Please note that for shipping your products you must use Hermes, GLS or DHL as carriers.
Costs
In addition, selling on Otto also comes with a cost. For example, a monthly fee of 39.90 euros is charged to sell on Otto. In addition, a commission is charged per product sold. The relevant percentages can be found under the various product groups on the Otto website.
Automation assistance: integrators
Manually adding all your articles to the partner portal is a lot of work. That's why it's wise to use an integrator. This software links your internal systems to one or more marketplaces. To use an integrator you do need ICT knowledge.
By using an integrator you can automatically add all your products to the Otto partner portal. Orders are processed automatically and stock levels are updated automatically. You can easily view your products, stock and orders.
Do you not have enough ICT knowledge to make this link? At Brandsom we have experience integrating brands with all major integrators including ChannelEngine, Productflow, EffectConnect, Vendiro and Tradebyte. We can therefore help you with:
- Finding the right integrator;
- Connecting your systems;
- and onboarding and mapping your products.
Read more on our integrator page or contact Brandsom and see what we can do for you.
Need assistance?
Are you interested in selling your products on Otto and could use some help? Then click on the arrow below and get in touch with one of our specialists.
For example, we can help you with
- Onboarding of your products through various integrators (automation)
- Improving your product titles and descriptions (optimization)
- The successful deployment of advertising opportunities (advertising)
If you want to know more about our services, please visit our service page.
