Zalando to expand into Ireland and the Czech Republic

Online heavyweight Zalando is set to launch in Ireland and the Czech Republic this summer, as the German fashion retailer continues to expand into new markets.

Following its debut in Ireland and the Czech Republic, Zalando will be present in 17 European countries. Ireland and the Czech Republic mark the first two new markets Zalando has entered since 2013. Once live, customers in both countries will have access to the online retailer's wide product assortment, free delivery, and return system.

"We are excited to bring Zalando to new customers, and we believe our unlimited assortment, personalized shopping experience, and substantial convenience offering will resonate well with Irish and Czech customers," said Rubin Ritter, co-CEO of Zalando in a statement. "We are tackling our expansion smartly, leveraging knowledge from our existing European markets. And we’re operating in usual Zalando style: launch, learn, iterate, and scale."

In addition to expanding to two new countries this summer, Zalando is also set to offer additional language versions of its online stores in Germany and Switzerland. From mid-summer 2018 on, customers in Germany will have access to an English-language version of the online German store, and customers in Switzerland will be able to access an Italian language version of the Swiss webshop. Zalando aims to enhance the customer shopping experience of its customers in both countries, by offering additional language choices.

Zalando is also set to expand its brand offering, as from August onwards it will feature Swedish Fashion label Monki on all its European websites. Monki is the third H&M held brand to be available on Zalando, in addition to Weekday and Cheap Monday.