Restructuring events
European Restructuring Monitor (ERM)
The restructuring events database contains factsheets with data on large-scale restructuring events reported in the principal national media and company websites in each EU Member State. This database was created in 2002.
Otto, a German e-commerce retailer, announced the reduction of about 460 full-time positions in Germany, primarily affecting its Hamburg site.
The restructuring is part of a broader transformation programme aimed at simplifying internal structures, cutting bureaucracy, and lowering the annual cost base by €110 million to a total of €500 million by the fiscal year 2027/28. The restructuring is designed to reposition Otto as a technology-driven platform business. By reducing structural costs, the company aims to expand its capacity for investment and strengthen its long-term competitiveness.
The company indicated that affected employees will have options such as partial retirement, termination agreements, and placement in a transitional company that temporarily employs and retrains workers. The works council was consulted as part of the constructive dialogue surrounding the restructuring, and the company has committed to ensuring that the restructuring process is carried out as fairly, transparently, and socially responsibly as possible.
Otto employs 4,300 people in Hamburg and 5,300 in total. As early as 2025, Otto had already cut 480 jobs through the closure of customer service centres (Otto 2025 – DE) (https://apps.eurofound.europa.eu/restructuring-events/detail/202406).
Eurofound (2026), Otto, Internal restructuring in Germany, factsheet number 204342, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://apps.eurofound.europa.eu/restructuring-events/detail/204342.
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