What: Zalando's use of generative AI enables rapid, market-specific content creation and personalised experiences across its ecommerce platform.

Why it is important: The strategy reflects how leading retailers are using AI to balance efficiency, creativity, and customer engagement in an increasingly competitive market.

Generative AI now governs approximately 90% of Zalando's on-site marketing content and powers more than 170,000 product videos, a production scale that would have been commercially indefensible three years ago. Fashion marketing has traditionally relied on meticulously planned, global campaigns, but consumers now encounter fashion inspiration continuously rather than seasonally, and traditional production cycles, typically six to eight weeks, cannot keep pace. AI enables Zalando to identify a trend and publish tailored content across more than 20 markets within days, sometimes within hours. The 90% figure reflects more than speed. On-site content that refreshes at this rate remains locally relevant in ways that static campaign production cannot sustain. The same logic applies to product storytelling: over 170,000 AI-generated videos give customers a clearer sense of how garments move and feel, resulting in stronger engagement. Human editorial judgment remains the constraint. AI functions as a production tool, not a creative decision-maker. The judgment of what a trend means for a customer in Milan versus Berlin stays with the team. In kidswear, AI-generated models have replaced traditional shoots involving child talent, enabling more flexible, age-appropriate visuals without putting children in front of a camera.

IADS Notes: Zalando's approach mirrors a move already visible across the sector. In December 2025, Zara adopted AI-generated imagery to accelerate production and reduce shoot costs, with H&M making parallel investments. Retailers are moving away from traditional campaign cycles, embracing AI-driven, continuous content strategies to maintain relevance across markets (Nov 2025). Consumer expectations have moved accordingly: 38% of global shoppers now use AI shopping tools and 71% expect personalised interactions (May 2026). While AI compresses production cycles that once took six to eight weeks to under 24 hours, it also compels brands to balance speed with the preservation of creativity and brand identity, as the evolution of visual production roles demonstrates (Feb 2026). The deployment of domain-specific AI models is delivering measurable improvements in efficiency and customer experience, with 71% of retail employees using AI tools weekly (Jan 2026)

How Zalando is using AI to reshape fashion content