Competition

OTTO opens to EU sellers: what German sellers should do now

By the MarktRank team · 22 October 2026 · 6 min read · Deutsche Version

In short

Since 2026, OTTO Market has been admitting sellers based in other EU countries step by step – first the Netherlands, now Austria too, with more to follow. For German sellers this means more offers on the same search terms. If you track your keywords weekly, keep product data and service metrics clean and check prices regularly, you will spot new competitors early and lose less visibility.

What is changing

For years only companies based in Germany could sell on OTTO Market. According to the „Formalien“ page on otto.market (as of October 2026), companies based in the Netherlands, Poland, Austria, France and Denmark are now eligible too, with a legal form and VAT ID from that country and registration for the OSS scheme.

The opening is happening country by country. The agency Netzgeeks describes the Netherlands as open since April 2026 and a pilot with selected Polish partners since June 2026, with Austria, France and Spain due by the end of 2026 and Denmark in early 2027. Internet World reported the Austrian launch on 30 September 2026. Even OTTO's own pages differ: the English otto.market home page mentions a pilot for selected Danish partners starting in November. Timelines therefore vary by source – check the current status with OTTO directly.

Which categories may see more competition

OTTO has not named categories where it particularly wants new partners. Consultancies have published expectations, though: Netzgeeks expects the range to widen mainly in fashion, sport, outdoor, and furniture and home. Treat that as an estimate, not data.

What matters to you in the end is the individual search term. A new seller of „Laufschuhe Herren“ (men's running shoes) only affects you if they appear above you for your keywords – and that is exactly what you should measure.

Spotting new competitors on your keywords

New sellers usually start on OTTO without reviews or sales history, so their early positions are often weak – or they buy their way up with Sponsored Product Ads. You can see both in search:

List your 10 to 30 most important search terms.
For each one, check which products sit above you on page 1 and whether they are organic or sponsored.
Note new sellers with their price, title and number of reviews.

How to analyse the products ahead of you is covered in Competitor research on otto.de.

Track organic position weekly

A single snapshot tells you little because rankings fluctuate. The trend is what counts: if your product slips a few places for a keyword over several weeks while a new offer climbs, you have identified a real competitor. Track organic position separately from ad position, otherwise your own campaign can hide an organic loss.

MarktRank records organic and ad position per keyword from live otto.de results and keeps the history. How that adds up to a share of visibility across a keyword set is explained in Share of search on OTTO.

Product data as your head start

OTTO says it applies the same quality standards to partner ranges as to its own retail business (Robert Schlichter, Vice President Marketplace, quoted by Internet World). New sellers have to build German-language product data from scratch – an area where established sellers are ahead and should stay ahead:

Complete every mandatory and filter attribute, see Categories, attributes and filters.
Titles that use the words buyers actually type.
Several clear images and a description that answers typical customer questions.

Service metrics and reviews

According to OTTO, sellers from abroad must offer German-language customer service and accept returns in Germany or selected EU countries. Longer delivery routes and cross-border returns are a potential weak spot – and your advantage if you ship fast and answer reliably.

Check late shipments, cancellation rate and response time weekly, see Weekly KPIs for OTTO sellers.
Collect reviews actively and respond to criticism calmly, see Product reviews on OTTO.

Check prices without starting a price war

New sellers often enter with low launch prices. Check the prices of the products ranking above you at least once a week for your highest-revenue keywords, and respond selectively: not every cheaper rival costs you positions. A price change or a time-limited promotion makes sense once position and revenue fall together. The rules for sale price and MSRP are in Prices on OTTO.

Your weekly routine in five steps

Check the organic position of your top keywords against last week.
Note new sellers on page 1 (price, title, reviews, ad or organic).
Review service metrics in Partner Connect.
Improve product data for products that lost positions.
Adjust prices only where position and revenue drop together.

If you want to sell on OTTO from another EU country yourself, see Selling on OTTO from the EU.

Frequently asked questions

Which countries can sellers on OTTO be based in?

According to OTTO's „Formalien“ page (as of October 2026): Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, Austria, France and Denmark. The list changes as the opening progresses, so check OTTO's current version.

Do EU sellers need a German VAT ID?

No. They use the VAT ID of their home country and must be registered for the OSS scheme.

Which categories will see more competition?

OTTO has not said. Consultancies such as Netzgeeks expect a wider range in fashion, sport, outdoor, and furniture and home. What matters is whether new offers appear on your own keywords.

How do I know if a new seller is pushing me down?

Track your organic position per keyword every week. If it falls over several weeks while a new offer rises above you, that is a clear signal.

Sources

See where your product ranks on otto.de
Overall, organic and ad position for every keyword – 5 free checks, no account needed.

Free rank check

Also selling on Kaufland? Track your Kaufland rankings with Kaufland Tracker →