Bonprix Reports Profitable Growth for Tenth Consecutive Year

Bonprix Handelsgesellschaft mbH, one of the Otto Group's highest-earning companies, reported a positive financial year 2018/19. The vertically integrated and internationally successful fashion brand increased its comparable sales by 3.4% year-on-year, rising from approximately 1.56 billion euros to over 1.57 billion euros according to preliminary IFRS calculations. This marks the tenth consecutive year of profitable growth for the company.

Eastern European markets were significant growth drivers, with Poland and the Czech Republic each achieving sales increases of over 20%. Romania and Hungary saw even higher growth rates, exceeding 30%. Promising developments were also seen in the Scandinavian countries, with Sweden reporting double-digit growth. The US market remained stable, generating over 250 million euros in revenue.

In its core German market, sales saw a slight decrease compared to the previous year. This was attributed partly to the long, hot summer impacting fashion sales and a major IT system overhaul. Bonprix focused on a smooth transition to SAP, deliberately reducing sales-driving campaigns during this period.

Mobile devices continued to be a growth driver, accounting for approximately 60% of e-commerce sales in Germany via smartphones and tablets. The company's shopping app, developed in Hamburg, is now active in 12 countries and has surpassed 6.5 million installations.