Zalando is one of the biggest European fashion websites. Founded in 2008, the company is now present in over 20 markets. It offers fashion products for men and women across categories such as shoes, accessories, and clothing. It makes money through product sales, commissions from its partner program, fulfillment services, subscriptions, advertising, as well as a style box.
Zalando was established in Berlin, Germany by Robert Gentz and David Schneider as an online shoe retailer. The pair grew the company by adding new products and expanding into other categories. They were eventually able to sell over 30 million pairs of shoes per year.
In 2008, the company was incorporated and became a publicly traded company in 2014. It is now a global leader in e-commerce.
With more than 35 million active customers, Zalando is one of the largest fashion retailers in Europe. It focuses on a wide variety of products and offers free shipping and returns.
Its website and app are available in over 15 languages, and customers can shop from their desktop computer or smartphone. The site also offers a free styling service called Zalon, which uses artificial intelligence to send customers one to two outfits each month.
To sell on Zalando, a business needs to be part of its partner program and meet its access conditions. Moreover, they must display their product flows in line with the platform’s requirements.
Currently, there are two types of connections to Zalando: the Connected Retail connection and the partner program. The former is used only when a brand or multi-brand has already been approved to be live on Zalando. The latter is used when a brand or multi-brand wants to sell on multiple countries at once.
The partner program is a way for Zalando to find brands that fit their target audience and can provide them with valuable insights. The programme has been designed to support all stages of the business, from brand onboarding and optimisation to gaining visibility on the Zalando platform.
Since the beginning of the programme, more than 75 different companies have joined. Many of them are shameless copycats of U.S. companies, such as Groupon clone CityDeal and Alando clone Zappos.
In order to participate in the partner program, a brand must be approved by Zalando and must have a valid registration certificate for the country it is selling in. In addition, the brand must have a valid address in that country and be registered for the tax authorities.
Zalando is one of the best-known names in e-commerce, and it has become a popular choice for businesses looking to expand their brand in Europe. The company offers a variety of products for men, women and children, as well as free shipping and returns.
On top of its e-commerce offerings, the company also operates a handful of physical stores in Europe. The storefronts feature a large selection of clothing, shoes and accessories from various brands.
The company’s brand portfolio includes Anna Field, Even & Odd, Friboo, Fullstop, Kiomi, Mint & Berry, Pier One, Twintip, Your Turn and Zign. In March 2019, the company announced it would shift its assortment strategy to focus on a core of “everyday essentials” and a focused footwear and accessories offering.