Zalando
Mr. Robert Gentz (Co-Founder, Co-CEO, GM & Member of the Management Board)
Mr. David Schroder (COO & Member of the Management Board)
Summary
Zalando SE operates an online platform for fashion and lifestyle products. It provides clothing, footwear, accessories, and beauty products with free delivery and returns. The company also sells its products through its Zalando Lounge; and brick-and-mortar outlet stores in Berlin, Frankfurt, Cologne, Leipzig, Hamburg, Hanover, Münster, Stuttgart, Mannheim, and Ulm. It serves customers in 23 countries, including Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. The company was founded in 2008 and is headquartered in Berlin, Germany.
History
Zalando was founded in 2008 by Robert Gentz and David Schneider in Berlin with investment capital from the three Samwer brothers. Gentz, Schneider and Oliver Samwer met each other through their studies at WHU - Otto Beisheim School of Management.
Inspired by US online retailer Zappos.com, Zalando initially specialized in the sale of footwear.
In 2010, the company launched in the Netherlands and France and added apparel to its portfolio. In 2011, it opened online retail sites in the UK, Italy, and Switzerland. In the following year, Zalando expanded to Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Belgium, Spain, and Poland. In 2012 Zalando began operating outside of Germany offering deliveries to Austria.
Since 2013, following examples of tech companies from the East, especially China, Zalando transitioned into a European digital platform. Emulating Chinese companies, Zalando set off into remaking itself into a digital shopping mall, allowing fashion houses and retailers to make sales via the Partner Program as well, often with limited input from Zalando.In 2014 Zalando was listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. Since 22 June 2015 Zalando has been included in the MDAX. In 2015, Zalando started collaborating with Topshop and began selling merchandise online. Advertisements featuring model Cara Delevingne were broadcast in Germany, Switzerland, and France.In June 2015, the fashion trade fair "Bread & Butter" was acquired by Zalando, with the intention to open the globally important event to a broader audience as a "fashion festival". The first edition of "Bread & Butter by Zalando" took place in 2016, hosting 20,000 visitors at Arena Berlin. Zalando announced the discontinuation of "Bread & Butter" due to a shift in strategy two years later.In March 2017, Zalando acquired Kickz, a German company, for an unknown sum. At the time, Kickz owned 15 shops across Germany, all specializing in basketball footwear.In 2018, Zalando launched Beauty in Germany, Poland, and Austria and opened a beauty concept store in Berlin offering a regularly changing range of beauty products.In February 2018, Zalando expanded its collaboration with physical retailers in Germany.In June 2018, Zalando expanded its operations to Ireland and the Czech Republic. The markets are served over the existing logistic sites of Zalando.In October 2020, a general works council with 31 members was elected for the first time in history, with its first meeting on 11 November 2020.In December 2020, co-CEO Rubin Ritter announced that he would be stepping down next year, two years before the end of his contract, to allow his wife to pursue her professional ambitions.In June 2021, the company announced that it would give all of its 14,500 workers an extra 5 days off work in August, in recognition of their work throughout the coronavirus pandemic.In September 2021 the DAX was expanded to 40 companies, with Zalando becoming part of the DAX.
Mission
As an online platform to produce and consume fashion , this will brief guranttee to success
Vision
Our strength to make the world not only more fashionable , but also more sustainable
Key Team
Mr. James M. Freeman II (Chief Bus. & Product Officer and Member of the Management Board)
Ms. Birgit Opp (VP of Corp. Fin. & Investor Relations)
Dr. Astrid Arndt (Chief People Officer & Member of Management Board)
Mr. Patrick Kofler (Head of Investor Relations)
Dr. Sandra Dembeck (CFO & Member of Management Board)
Mr. Rene Gribnitz (VP of Corp. Communications)
Mr. Philipp Erler (Sr. VP of Digital Experience)
References
Mr. Robert Gentz (Co-Founder, Co-CEO, GM & Member of the Management Board)
Mr. David Schroder (COO & Member of the Management Board)