How Dutch sellers can tap into Otto, Germany's biggest marketplace

In this webinar, Mitchell Dröge (Alliance Manager at ChannelEngine) joined Sarah Hußlein (Sales & Marketing Manager at Otto) and Daniel Zaleski (Senior Sales & Account Manager at Otto) to walk Dutch ecommerce sellers through one of the biggest marketplace opportunities of 2026: Selling on Otto, Germany's largest homegrown marketplace, for the very first time.

In a nutshell:

The discussion revealed that Otto Market has officially opened its doors to Dutch sellers, making it the first international seller group to gain access to the platform. With 12.6 million active customers, a curated, quality-first environment, and a clear onboarding path, Otto represents a compelling expansion channel for Dutch brands that already ship to Germany or are ready to start.

🎥 Watch the full webinar recording:

Everything you need to know about selling on Otto

Why Germany and why now?

Germany is the largest ecommerce market in continental Europe, and for Dutch sellers, it's arguably the most accessible. Many brands already have German content, ship to German consumers, and understand the market. The question has never really been whether to sell in Germany; it's been which channel gets you the most traction.

That answer is shifting. Otto recently closed its best business year with €7.5 billion in GMV and 6% year-over-year growth, above the market average, all while keeping its seller base intentionally small at just over 6,100 selected partners. For context, Amazon Germany hosts hundreds of thousands of sellers. On Otto, you're competing with a fraction of that number.

"If you have a rather curated assortment of brands, high-quality brands, then we should provide the right environment for it. And we try to prevent down trading, so cheaper products without any brand."

 

Daniel Zaleski
Senior Sales & Account Manager at Otto

That's a fundamentally different value proposition from Amazon, and for quality-focused Dutch brands, it could be the better fit.

What makes Otto different from other German marketplaces?

Otto isn't just another marketplace. It's a 77-year-old household name that started as a mail-order catalogue in 1949 and has since evolved through an online shop (launched in 1995), a mobile-first app (launched in 2018, now driving 90% of all traffic), and a full marketplace model (launched in 2019). That legacy translates into something harder to manufacture: deep consumer trust.

Otto is also part of the Otto Group, a network of more than 30 ecommerce and retail companies with a combined €15 billion in GMV, which includes Hermes, Germany's major parcel carrier. That means built-in logistics synergies and long-term stability as a platform partner.

On the demand side, Otto invests heavily in brand awareness. TV campaigns, billboards, influencer partnerships targeting younger audiences, co-branded product launches (including a well-received Adidas collaboration), and live shopping - Otto was an early mover in live commerce long before TikTok Shop made it mainstream.

Otto Market: closed, curated, and quality-first

In 2026, Otto made a deliberate strategic shift: moving from an open to a closed marketplace. This is the single most important thing to understand before you apply.

"At Otto, we build trust through quality, especially right now when competition is becoming more price-driven and many marketplaces are fighting for customers. We see trust as a key differentiator."

Sarah Hußlein
Sales & Marketing Manager at Otto

What this means in practice is that every seller application is individually reviewed. The basic eligibility criteria (legal entity, VAT, logistics) get you through the door, but quality criteria determine whether you get an invitation. Otto looks at:

• Product image quality and description depth
• Whether you operate your own webshop or sell on other marketplaces (Amazon, Bol)
• Assortment relevance, Otto doesn't need your products if it already has a well-performing equivalent
• Customer ratings and sales track record

The requirements for Dutch sellers

Here's what you need to have in place before applying:

• Legal entity: BV, NV, or VOF (more legal forms will be added over time).
• VAT: A valid Dutch VAT ID is required. You must participate in the OSS (One Stop Shop) procedure using your Dutch VAT. A German VAT ID is not yet accepted, though that's on the roadmap.
• Logistics: A warehouse within the EU, and returns handled via DHL.
• Language: All product content must be in German. Customer service must be in German too, though the good news is that almost all communication happens in written form, which makes this far more manageable than it sounds.

If you're already selling in Germany through another channel (Amazon), you've likely already cleared most of these prerequisites.

How to get started: the onboarding journey

The process is more straightforward than it might initially seem:

• Already a ChannelEngine customer? Start selling on Otto directly here - your integration setup is just a few steps away.
• Not yet using ChannelEngine? Get in touch with us first, and we'll guide you through the full setup, from platform onboarding to your first Otto listing.

Once you're in, the steps are:

• Wait for review - applications are individually assessed; allow up to two weeks for a response, but you will always receive one
• Receive login details for Otto Partner Connect (OPC), Otto's partner portal
• Set up two-factor authentication and sign contracts
• Complete identity verification via Otto Payments (Otto's payment provider)
• Upload your company, logistics, and product information
• Go live - your products become visible to Otto's 12.6 million customers
  
  

Using ChannelEngine to automate your Otto sales

Getting approved is one thing. Running an efficient, scalable Otto operation is another. That's where ChannelEngine comes in.

As a marketplace integration software, ChannelEngine connects your backend systems. whether that's Shopify, an ERP, or a PIM, to Otto's API, handling all the critical flows: product listings, stock and pricing updates, order retrieval, shipment tracking, returns, and cancellations.

For clients already on ChannelEngine selling via Bol or Amazon, adding Otto is an extension of your existing setup, not a new project. Here are a few features of our platform that make selling on Otto easier from day one:

AI category mapping. One of the first steps when listing products on Otto is mapping them to the correct category. ChannelEngine's AI tool analyzes Otto's taxonomy and suggests the most accurate category for each product automatically, dramatically reducing what used to be a manual, time-consuming process.

Virtual bundles with AI-generated content. Want to list a phone case alongside a handset, or bundle socks with trainers? ChannelEngine lets you create virtual bundles without touching your backend systems. Better still, because bundles combine two separate product descriptions, ChannelEngine uses AI to generate unique bundle content automatically. Bundles also increase average order value and can make individually thin-margin products viable as a combined listing.

Content translation. If your listings are in Dutch or English and you need German versions, ChannelEngine integrates directly with Google Cloud Translate and DeepL. You can translate your full product catalog into properly formatted German listings in minutes. A human review pass is always recommended, but it's a fast, practical way to get live quickly.

ChannelEngine's own data from clients already selling on Otto shows aggregate GMV growth of close to 13% year-on-year, an average order value of €71, and strong performance across home & living, consumer electronics, garden, and fashion categories.

Final thoughts

Otto's decision to open its marketplace to Dutch sellers first isn't just a milestone for the platform; it's a well-timed opportunity for brands and retailers already navigating the German market.

The combination of a curated, lower-competition environment, a loyal 12.6-million-strong customer base, and a straightforward onboarding path makes it one of the more compelling expansion plays available to Dutch ecommerce businesses right now.

The quality bar is high, as Otto isn't looking for every seller to join their platform; they are looking for the right sellers. If your brand has strong product content, a solid track record, and a relevant assortment for the German consumer, you have a genuine shot at building a meaningful revenue channel before the platform scales to more international markets later this year.

The Netherlands is first. That window won't stay exclusive for long.