- CEO
- Robert Gentz
- Full Time Employees
- 15,463
- Sector
- Consumer Cyclical
- Industry
- Specialty Retail
- Address
- Valeska-Gert-Straße 5 Berlin Germany 10243
- IPO Date
- Apr 1, 2015
- Business
- Zalando SE is a Germany-based online platform specializing in fashion and lifestyle e-commerce, offering a comprehensive portfolio of products including shoes, apparel, accessories, beauty products, and sports goods from more than 6,000 brands. The company operates through two main segments: Business-to-Consumer (B2C) and Business-to-Business (B2B), providing online retail services alongside marketing, advertising, fulfillment, partnered services, and a shopping club experience. Products are retailed through its platform, physical outlet stores, and Lounge by Zalando. Zalando serves a broad European footprint, operating in countries including Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, the Netherlands, France, Italy, Spain, Poland, the Nordics, Central and Eastern Europe, and the United Kingdom. Founded in 2008, the company is headquartered in Berlin, Germany.
In the last two years, Zalando SE has significantly expanded its market presence and capabilities through strategic acquisitions and partnerships. Most notably, it completed the acquisition of a 91.45% stake in ABOUT YOU Holding SE in mid-2025, aiming to build a pan-European fashion and lifestyle e-commerce ecosystem with complementary B2C and B2B offerings. This merger supports Zalando’s strategy to deepen its European market penetration and create approximately 100 million euros in group EBIT synergies annually starting in 2029. Additionally, Zalando launched an AI-driven discovery feed on its app to enhance customer engagement with personalized content and introduced the ZEOS fulfillment service and Shopify app to bolster its B2B segment. A strategic five-year partnership with the German Football Federation was also announced, positioning Zalando as a main partner of national football teams, further enhancing brand visibility. The company has shown strong financial performance with a growing active customer base of over 52 million as of mid-2025 and continues to invest heavily in digital innovations and expanded logistics.
Zalando targets a gross merchandise volume growth between 12% and 15% and revenue growth between 14% and 17% for 2025, with an adjusted EBIT forecast of 550 million to 600 million euros. The company focuses on maintaining leadership in customer experience and operational scale in the European fashion market and extends its reach through localized service elements, including language and payment options, and regional logistics partnerships. Zalando’s ecosystem strategy underpins its approach toward expanding market share across over 20 European countries and creating integrated solutions for brands, retailers, and consumers.
Overall, Zalando SE operates as a leading fashion and lifestyle e-commerce platform in Europe with diversified offerings, a strong expansion strategy through acquisitions and partnerships, and an emphasis on leveraging technology to enhance customer experience and operational efficiency. The company's headquarters is in Berlin, Germany, and it remains focused on dominating the European online fashion and lifestyle market.