Bonprix
German fashion retailer
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bonprix Handelsgesellschaft mbH (stylised: bonprix Handelsgesellschaft mbH) is a German fashion company, headquartered in Hamburg. It is a subsidiary of Otto Group and is active in over 25 predominantly European markets.[4]
 | |
| Company type | GmbH |
|---|---|
| Industry | multichannel fashion sale |
| Founded | 1986 |
| Headquarters | Hamburg, Germany |
Key people | Torben Hansen (managing director), Kai Heck, Carolin Klar, Matthias Wlaka, Marcus Ackermann (Chairman)[1] |
| Revenue | €1.52 billion (2023/24)[2] |
| Owner | Otto Group |
Number of employees | 2500 (2024)[3] |
| Website | en.bonprix.de |
As a multichannel provider, the company operates online and mobile shops as well as a mail order catalogue.[5] In Germany, Bonprix is one of the largest online shops and ranked 4th in the 2023 EHI Retail Institute ranking of the highest-grossing online shops in the main product segment of fashion.[6]
History
Company history
Bonprix Handelsgesellschaft mbH was founded in 1986 as a subsidiary of Otto Group. In 1989, the company reached a revenue of DM1 million for the first time.[7]
Since the 1990s, Bonprix has been expanding into various countries.[8] In 2009, the American swimwear manufacturer Venus Swimwear was acquired and expanded in the following years.[9] In 2010, the company achieved sales of over €1 billion for the first time.[10]
Development of the business model
The first Bonprix mail order catalogue was released in 1986, featuring 32 pages; by 2015, the catalogues had expanded to over 200 pages.[7]
The company's German webshop went online in 1997. By 2020, online shops had been launched in eight other countries.[8] In 2011, Bonprix launched the first German webshop for mobile devices, followed by international mobile shops. In 2016, the Bonprix app was introduced.[11]
Bonprix opened a first retail store in 1999 in Hamburg. Further stores followed in Germany and other countries. Since 2016, the company has been restructuring its retail network;[12] by 2020, most retail stores had closed. In 2019, the "Fashion Connect Store" opened in Hamburg, a pilot project for a digitally assisted shopping experience.[13][14] This last store was closed in 2023, meaning that Bonprix no longer has a location-based retail business.[15]
Business operations
Corporate structure
The Bonprix Group consists of seven companies, all of which are part of the Otto Group. In the fiscal year 2023/2024, the Bonprix Group generated a revenue of €1.52 billion[2] and is thus one of the highest-grossing companies in the Otto Group.[16] Overall, Bonprix sells its products in over 25 countries[4] and employs around 2500 people.[3] In 2019, more than 54% of the revenue was generated abroad.[5] As of 2023, online sales account for around 90% of sales.[17]
Products
Bonprix's product range includes clothing, shoes, and accessories for women, men, and children, as well as home textiles, furniture, and decorative items. The collections are designed in-house and produced on a contract manufacturing basis. Bonprix primarily sells its own brands, except for shoes, where third-party brands are also offered.[18] The company operates a logistics centre in Hamburg, which is one of the largest of its kind in Europe.[7]
Distribution channels
Bonprix follows a multichannel strategy.[19] The company primarily sells its products through online and mobile shops, as well as catalogues. E-commerce has become the company's most important distribution channel; in the 2020/21 fiscal year, around 88% of sales were generated through online and mobile shops.[4] Bonprix's logistics partner since 1996 has been the Otto subsidiary Hermes Fulfilment.[20]
Sustainability
Since 2017, the company has been increasingly using sustainable materials and climate-friendly transport.[21][22] Sustainably sourced fibres made up about half of the textile materials used in 2021.[23] This share is planned to be increased to 100% by 2030 as part of the company's corporate responsibility strategy. By the end of 2031, all main materials are to be made from organic wool and fibres.[24]
