Global Retail Giant Cotton On Optimises Azure Spend Using Cloud Ctrl

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Industry: Retail

Brands: 8

Stores: 1,500 across 22 countries

Location: Australia (global operations)

Technology: Cloud Ctrl & Microsoft Azure

Cotton On Group, one of Australia's largest global retailers, operating 1,500 stores across 22 countries under eight fashion and lifestyle brands, partnered with SixPivot and adopted Cloud Ctrl to address the growing complexity of Azure cloud cost management. The result was the elimination of hours of weekly manual analysis, granular cost visibility mapped to individual business services, and a fundamental shift in how the technology team communicates cloud investment decisions to stakeholders.

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The cloud cost challenges Cotton On Group was facing

Cotton On's digital footprint spans eight brands, multiple e-commerce platforms, and partnerships with major marketplaces including ASOS and The Iconic. Managing Azure cloud costs across that environment fell to the technology team, led by Head of Technology & Cyber Security Daniel Hompas, and the available tools weren't keeping pace.

The team faced several compounding challenges: limited visibility into Azure spending, time-consuming manual cost analysis, and difficulty mapping technology costs to specific business services. Reporting requirements across multiple business units added further complexity, and justifying cloud investment decisions to stakeholders was increasingly difficult without clear, accessible data.

"Microsoft gave us pretty basic ways of tagging data. The problem with the Microsoft portal was that it took hours a week. We're here to deliver incredible products and shopping experiences for customers; we're not here to analyse costs."

Daniel Hompas

Head of Technology & Cyber Security, Cotton On Group

Why Cotton On Group chose Cloud Ctrl for Microsoft Azure cost management

Cloud Ctrl was recommended to Cotton On by SixPivot, their existing infrastructure partner. The platform stood out for its intuitive interface, automated cost analysis, clear mapping of costs to business services, and time-saving features that addressed the manual overhead the team was carrying.

Where the native Microsoft Azure portal required extensive manual work, such as complex Excel processes, pivot tables, and hours of weekly analysis, Cloud Ctrl offered a purpose-built alternative designed specifically for the kind of multi-brand, multi-platform environment Cotton On operates.

How Cloud Ctrl transformed Cotton On Group's approach to cloud costs

The transition to Cloud Ctrl had an immediate impact across both operational and financial workflows.

On the operational side, it eliminated the manual cost-analysis processes that had consumed hours each week by replacing Excel-heavy reporting with automated, accessible visibility into Azure services. Teams gained the ability to make confident, data-informed recommendations rather than spending time reconciling figures.

"Cloud Ctrl has taken a tedious manual process which included Excel and pivot tables and turned it into a fit-for-purpose tool. It's given our team the ability to be confident in what they're saying — they can provide recommendations on the data rather than fighting with Excel and numbers."

Daniel Hompas

Head of Technology & Cyber Security, Cotton On Group

On the financial side, improved cost attribution to individual business services and better resource optimisation gave stakeholders greater confidence in cloud investment decisions. Budgeting accuracy improved, and cloud cost conversations shifted from justification to strategy.

The strategic benefits Cotton On Group gained from Cloud Ctrl

The clearest strategic shift has been in how the technology team engages with the rest of the business. With granular, real-time visibility into cost per system, technology, or service, data-driven decisions are now the default, not the exception.

"Clear and timely visibility into cloud costs ensures we are enabled to make optimised investment decisions. Data-driven decisions are now possible at a granular level, with clarity over cost per system, technology or service at our fingertips."

Daniel Hompas

Head of Technology & Cyber Security, Cotton On Group

The enhanced decision-making confidence has improved resource optimisation, strengthened stakeholder communications, and enabled more productive strategic planning conversations, replacing the previous dynamic of cost justification with forward-looking investment discussion.

How Cloud Ctrl supports Cotton On Group's long-term cloud strategy

With Cloud Ctrl monitoring its Azure environment, Cotton On has established a sustainable foundation for ongoing cloud cost management; one that scales with the business rather than creating additional overhead as the digital footprint grows.

The solution continues to support Cotton On's commitment to delivering value to customers while maintaining operational efficiency across its global technology estate.

"We've seen a couple of similar tools across telecommunications management and billing management. I haven't seen anything similar that compares with Cloud Ctrl for Azure."

Daniel Hompas

Head of Technology & Cyber Security, Cotton On Group

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Cloud Ctrl?

Cloud Ctrl is a cloud cost management platform designed for organisations running Azure environments. It provides automated cost analysis, clear mapping of costs to business services, intuitive reporting, and time-saving features that replace manual processes, including complex Excel and pivot table workflows.

How does Cloud Ctrl differ from the native Microsoft Azure cost management portal?

The native Microsoft Azure portal provides basic cost tagging and reporting capabilities that can require hours of weekly manual work to produce actionable insights, particularly for large, multi-brand or multi-platform environments. Cloud Ctrl is purpose-built for Azure cost management, automating analysis and mapping costs directly to business services without requiring extensive manual processing.

Is Cloud Ctrl suitable for large, multi-brand retail organisations?

Yes. Cloud Ctrl's ability to map costs to specific business services and generate clear reporting across multiple business units makes it well-suited to organisations with similarly complex cloud footprints.

What should organisations look for in an Azure cost management tool?

The key capabilities to look for are: automated cost analysis that removes manual overhead; clear mapping of technology costs to specific business services; accessible reporting that non-technical stakeholders can engage with; and time-saving features that free teams to focus on decisions rather than data wrangling.