Zalando working towards an even more personalised experience for shoppers

Every customer should receive a tailored experience at online fashion retailer Zalando, said board member Rubin Ritter to German newspaper Handelsblatt on Wednesday, adding that customers could easily lose sight of the big picture considering the 300,000 articles the site introduces each year.

“In the future, this can only work if every customer has their own Zalando,” he said. That is why the German e-tailer is investing heavily in artificial intelligence and big data. According to Ritter, nearly 600 IT engineers are working to ensure that every customer receives a tailored experience. “This is one of our most important projects for the next 12 to 18 months.”

Zalando has grown rapidly in recent years and continues to see plenty of room for improvement. Over the next three years, sales are expected to double to an estimated 9 billion euros ($10bn). But in the European fashion market, Zalando has market share of just over 1%. “There’s still room for improvement,” Ritter confirms.

Sales are expected to increase strongly, with partners selling their products on Zalando and using the company’s logistics and marketing. Partners are expected to increase their share of sales to account for 20% of revenue in the coming years, said Ritter.