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Zalando emphasises support for underrepresented communities in latest D&I report

By Rachel Douglass

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Business

Zalando D&I Report. Image: Zalando

European marketplace Zalando published the third edition of its annual diversity and inclusion (D&I) report, in which it outlined its progress over the 12 commitments made as part of its Do.Better strategy.

In the report, the company said it had increased the amount of Black-owned brands over the past year, onboarding a total of 63 labels within the category, across beauty, jewellery and fashion.

The retailer added that through building up long-term relationships with brands that serve or stem from underrepresented groups, it wants to “better understand the specific customers’ needs and brand goals”.

It further highlighted the release of an ‘Adaptive Fashion’ collection for disabled customers, which saw it launch lines with five private labels aiming to offer an inclusive assortment of clothing.

Zalando further stated that it was looking to widen its gender representation across leadership teams. While its target sits at 40 to 60 percent of women in leadership level roles by 2023, it currently comes in at an average of 37.5 percent.

It also noted that 24.8 percent of roles across the company’s technical job divisions were made up of women, where it reported a year-on-year growth from 21.2 percent in 2021.

The retailer said it was increasing its efforts in these fields by merging hiring process improvements with strategic initiatives, including its Women In Tech Reskilling Programme and a Black Girls Tech conference in Berlin.

Speaking on the achievements, David Schneider, co-CEO of Zalando, said: “I am proud of the steps we have taken over the past years, but we aren’t stopping here.

“We are confident we can do better, and will continue to invest and build a truly inclusive Starting Point For Fashion – for everyone.”

Diversity
Zalando