Zalando Marketplace Guide
Zalando Marketplace: the guide
Zalando Marketplace, the leading platform for brand-name clothing retailers
Zalando is a benchmark for e-commerce in the fashion sector. This essential German platform attracts virtually all the major fashion brands seeking to address consumers in Europe. Through its Marketplace, Zalando gives you access to millions of active customers: 48 million in 23 different countries by 2025, and over 7 billion visits to its website.
How does Zalando Marketplace work?
A simple ecommerce site in 2008, Zalando opened its marketplace in 2014. This decision was in line with the company's ambition to become the online shopping leader for millions of consumers in Europe.
The Zalando marketplace connects professional sellers of new brand-name fashion products with consumers.
Why sell on a Marketplace like Zalando?
Today, Zalando is a leader in online fashion, with a wide range of products from brands that are often world-renowned. Selling on the Zalando marketplace gives you access to a huge European audience, with over 420 million monthly visitors. Becoming a seller on the Zalando marketplace also enables you to offer new, high-quality fashion items from leading brands.
Who can sell on Zalando?
Zalando is an online store and marketplace. The marketplace accounts for around 25% of total annual sales. Three types of profile can sell on the Zalando marketplace: retailers, brands and distributors.
What products can I sell on Zalando?
Zalando is a leading fashion marketplace, offering a wide range of products for sale, including branded clothing, footwear, sports goods, accessories and even beauty products. Consumers are attracted by the wide range of products on offer, divided into various categories.
Zalando Marketplace features
The Zalando marketplace offers several advantages to those who want to sell easily and securely on the platform:
- A choice of three logistics options and access to Europe's largest logistics network, with 8 distribution centers in 5 countries,
- access to a large audience and optimal visibility,
- quality management tools and marketing support.
All of which help boost sales and develop online business.
Our theme guides
Want to know everything about Zalando Marketplace, how it works and best practices? Discover our thematic guides on the subject.
Special features of Zalando Marketplace
Zalando Marketplace has several special features that contribute to its success:
- the sales platform focuses primarily on fashion and related products such as shoes and accessories. As a result, Zalando sellers are mainly designers, retailers and fashion brands,
- Zalando offers a unique partnership system with its sellers. Sellers retain their own brand identity while benefiting from high visibility. This enables them to develop their store and increase their sales,
- the possibility of using Zalando logistics services such as Zalando Fulfillment Solutions (ZFS) and Zalando Shipping Solutions (ZSS). This is useful for organizing order delivery, shipping and complete management if required,
the Zalando Marketplace offers high-quality customer service and marketing and data analysis tools for its vendor partners,
Zalando is committed to ethical business practices in the fashion industry.
Zalando Marketplace commissions
Zalando retains a fluctuating financial compensation, ranging from 5% to 25% on each sale made, depending on product category and value. The higher the price of the product sold, the higher the commission. This allows the seller to easily amortize certain items sold at a low price.
Marketplace payment terms
On Zalando Marketplace, payment terms may vary depending on the conditions agreed between Zalando and the sellers. In general, Zalando issues invoices on the first day of each month, once fees and commissions have been deducted from the total amount. The payment deadline depends on a number of factors, such as the seller's preferred payment solution. If the payment day falls on a weekend or public holiday in Germany, the invoice is issued on the next working day.
Enjoy D+1 payment on Zalando Marketplace with Qashflo
Zalando selling expensesHow do I get started as a partner seller on the Zalando Marketplace?
Now that you know how the Zalando marketplace works, it's time to get started. You can set up your store and start trading in just a few simple steps:
- Join the Zalando Partner Program by filling in an online form. Today, more than 650 professionals are part of the Partner Program and collaborate with Zalando. The first step is to submit your brand to the Zalando team for approval,
- Zalando approves your application, taking into account the products you wish to sell. Once you have filled in all the required information, click on the "Next" button,
- Once Zalando has accepted your brand, you sign the contract to open your account. Zalando prefers a short lead time between the actual signing of the contract and the sale of the first products on the platform,
- This leads to the "Partner Readiness" stage. Here you confirm all the conditions with Zalando. Until this stage is validated, you cannot integrate products and sell them. Certain elements need to be validated, such as your organization's legal information, proof of your logistical capacity to send parcels (in line with Zalando's requirements), compliance with the image charter and the size chart listing the sizes available for your products,
- Integrate your products in compliance with Zalando requirements,
- Easily manage your orders and sales. Always include 4 essential documents in every parcel: return instructions, delivery note, return slip and product invoice. If this represents too great an investment, you can use Zalando Fulfillment Solutions (ZFS). This option allows you to delegate logistics to Zalando. Alternatively, you can choose the "Partner Fulfillment" solution and ship items directly from your warehouse.
