Breuninger vs Otto Group

YouTube Shopping Launches in Germany, Awin Provides Tech

YouTube Shopping has launched in Germany, allowing eligible creators to tag products directly in their videos, creating a seamless path from recommendation to purchase. The affiliate platform Awin provides the technical infrastructure for this integration. Initial participating retailers include Breuninger and Thalia, with the offering set to expand in the coming months. The program is now open to creators with at least 500 subscribers. YouTube reports that products tagged in videos can achieve up to 50% more clicks than traditional affiliate links in video descriptions. This move integrates creator commerce more deeply into the affiliate ecosystem, offering brands and retailers a new performance-based channel to the creator economy, and enabling creators to monetize their influence directly.

• YouTube Shopping launched in Germany, allowing creators to tag products in videos.
• Affiliate platform Awin provides the technical infrastructure for YouTube Shopping in Germany.
• Breuninger and Thalia are among the first participating retailers in Germany.

Westwing opens two-floor flagship store in Munich

Westwing, a German home and living e-commerce company, has opened a new flagship store in Munich, Germany, located at Residenzstraße 24. The two-story store spans more than 400 square meters and replaces a previous temporary location near Odeonsplatz. This flagship is the first to implement Westwing's new 'Store Concept 3.0', which emphasizes modular product presentations and clearly defined product categories. The store integrates physical and digital shopping by allowing customers to purchase items in-store and also access the full product range via iPad stations. It also features an expanded design consulting service. Westwing plans to use this Munich location as a testbed to refine the concept and potentially expand further.

• Westwing opened a new flagship store in Munich, Germany, on September 16, 2026.
• The store is located at Residenzstraße 24 and covers over 400 square meters across two floors.
• It replaces a previous temporary store near Odeonsplatz.

Virtual Try-On Shows How AI Scales in Fashion

The article explains how generative AI and computer-vision techniques have made Virtual Try-On (VTO) commercially viable for fashion e-commerce by creating realistic digital twins from standard product images. VTO can raise conversion rates, reduce costly returns, and generate first-party data that improves personalization and assortment planning. Retailers and brands such as ASOS, Breuninger and Maybelline are already integrating VTO into the customer journey. The piece frames VTO as an example of how companies across industries can scale AI by focusing on concrete customer problems that deliver measurable business value, and it points to DMEXCO 2026 as a forum where these ideas are discussed.

• Generative AI and computer vision now produce realistic digital twins for virtual try-on from ordinary product images.
• Virtual Try-On targets three business goals: higher conversions, fewer returns, and more data for personalization and assortment planning.
• According to the National Retail Federation, about 19% of online fashion purchases in the U.S. were returned in 2025.

OTTO: Mit ChatGPT-Plugin und -Ads zur Agentic Readiness

OTTO is advancing its e-commerce platform for AI-driven shopping. With its tech partner one.O, the retailer built an MCP-based interface, enabling a new ChatGPT plugin that offers product recommendations for over 19 million articles. Users can engage the plugin via '@OTTO' to get personalized product advice, with purchases completed on OTTO's own shop. Additionally, OTTO has been testing ChatGPT Ads since September 2026, one of the first European partners, while clearly distinguishing paid ads from organic recommendations. Earlier, OTTO introduced a voice-assisted shopping tool that has driven up to 37% higher order values and double conversion rates. Future plans include AI agents that can retrieve real-time data and handle transactions, but these capabilities are not yet available.

• OTTO launched a ChatGPT plugin for product recommendations across 19 million articles, built on an MCP-based interface with one.O.
• The plugin enables customers to get advice on OTTO's assortment within ChatGPT, with purchases completed on OTTO's shop.
• OTTO has been testing ChatGPT Ads since September 2026 as one of the first European partners, distinguishing ads from organic recommendations.

Witt-Gruppe eröffnet virtuelle Umkleidekabine; Nächste Phase der KI-Transformation: OTTO startet GenAI-Enablement-Partner-Programm

New press releases on the Otto Group newsroom: Witt-Gruppe launches virtual fitting room (08.10.2026) and OTTO starts GenAI-Enablement-Partner-Programm (07.10.2026).

Alexander Peters erweitert als CTO die Geschäftsführung der Hermes Fulfilment

Otto Group 26.08.2026