What: For Zalando, the scarcity of real customer reviews explains why they should be removed.

Why it is important: Some aspects of customer relationship considered as a stapple so far are starting to be deeply reevaluated. Customer feedback is a feature of e-commerce.

Zalando, a German online retailer, has removed its customer reviews feature, citing that only 3% of shoppers left reviews and most products received none. Instead, they've introduced a survey to gauge if product descriptions influenced purchase decisions. The change surprised many industry observers, especially when reviews are increasingly influencing online buying habits. Concerns over fake reviews might have influenced Zalando's decision. Although the review option is gone, customers can still share feedback via their profiles or when providing return reasons. Zalando continues to innovate, recently launching tools like a body measurement predictor and a virtual fitting room for enhanced shopping experiences.

Zalando removes customer reviews from its German website