Zalando to offer delivery for third parties

Online giant Zalando is set to offer delivery for third parties, starting with fashion group Bestseller. The new delivery option is aimed at fashion brands who have been using Zalando as a digital storefront, but handle their own logistics such as deliveries and returns., according to media reports.

Brands will be able to rent out space for their stocks in Zalando’s existing warehouse, thereby outsourcing their logistical operations to the online giant through this new service. Danish group Bestseller, owner of brands such as Jack & Jones and Vero Moda, is the first company to have sign on for this new service, which should come as no surprise as Anders Polvsen, owner of Bestseller, acquired a 10 percent stake in Zalando in 2013.

The move is part of the German company’s ongoing strategy to offer consumers the best shopping experience possible. Part of that plan sees Zalando developing into a central logistical hub for the fashion industry. As Zalando currently works with seventeen different local delivery services, this makes it easier for them to collect several packages from one distribution centre, leading to faster delivery times. Zalando believes its new service will prove to be beneficial for both themselves, as well as their partners, as this option also makes it easier for the online giant to combine parcels when a shoppers orders something from their webshop as well as a third party.

In addition, the online giant hopes this new service will link them even closer to their current partner brands and help attract new ones. This service has been available to fashion companies within Germany for sometime now, but is currently being rolled out to Zalando’s key markets, including the Netherlands, Austria, Spain and France. In time the company aims to roll out this service to all the markets it is present in.

Read all about Zalando's new delivery service and more in FashionUnited's in-depth report next week