What:  Zalando is accelerating on sustainability with several strategic initiatives

Why it is important:  They are giving customers the option to browse the site by values (water consumption, animal welfare…). It might translate into customers expecting this approach in other stores in the near future.

Zalando aims at generating 25% of its Gross Merchandise Volume through sustainable products by 2023. To achieve this, they have launched a series of initiatives:

• Take part to global events such as the Copenhagen Fashion Week (one of the most “green” fashion weeks in the world) with the Zalando Sustainability Award,
• Push the do.MORE initiative launched in 2019, with a plan to reduce carbon emissions by 80% and have 90% sustainable suppliers within 2025
• Invest in pre-owned market, with such an offer now available in Poland, Crez Republic, Austria, Denmark, Finland, Italy, Sweden and Germany,
• Make all those commitments visible: customers are now able to browse the site by values (water conservation, animal welfare…)

It is estimated that Zalando’s GMV increased by between 54.5% and 56.5%, to USD 3.8bn during the first quarter of 2021, and its revenue by between 46% and 48%, to USD 2.73 bn.

Zalando Lets Consumers Shop By Values And Expands Pre-Owned Markets