Supply chain of the Otto Group
Supply chains are globally branched and complex. The Otto Group is meeting this challenge with numerous measures. This includes transparent reporting, for example by publishing facility locations.
The Otto Group sources more than one million different fashion, living and multimedia products from over 70 countries via its Group companies. The deeper one looks into the preliminary stages of our supply chains, i.e. towards the cultivation and mining of raw materials, the more complex and branched it becomes.
As we do not own facilties, we cooperate with business partners (so-called suppliers), who in turn place orders with different facilities. They operate independently of us. As a consequence, it is difficult for us as a trading company to exactly understand which upstream suppliers are involved in the production process.
The Otto Group is focused on increasing transparency throughout its global supply chain and making it more sustainable step by step.
The following graphic schematically describes a supply chain. It introduces the individual players and provides an overview of the Otto Group's activities in the single areas of the supply chain.
Cultivation and mining of raw materials
This is the beginning of the value chain. Examples are cotton cultivation, forestry and metal production.
Processing facilities
The raw materials are processed, preliminary products manufactured and prepared for final production. This process step includes, for example, spinning yarn, dyeing fabrics or processing wood in the sawmill.
Final production
The products are finalised and ready for dispatch. In the case of textiles, this is referred to as the "cut-make-trim" process, i.e. cutting, sewing and finishing; in the case of furniture products, this is the final assembly.
Suppliers
By this we mean the players with whom we have a direct business relationship. These are, for example, agencies, importers or direct suppliers. The supplier is our gateway to the market, as he commissions a network of facilities to manufacture our products.
Facility locations
The publication of the locations of facilities that produce for the Otto Group is an important step towards greater transparency. An interactive map provides information about the most important manufacturers.
Many different factories worldwide produce for the Otto Group. The map shows exactly where these factories are located and also provides information on factory audits. The darker the colour coding, the more important the country is for the Otto Group's sourcing activities.
Here you can find a list of business partners and facilities: