Zalando

Zalando SE is a publicly traded German online retailer of shoes, fashion and beauty active across Europe. The company was founded in 2008 by David Schneider and Robert Gentz and has more than 51 million active users in 25 European markets. Zalando is active in a variety of business fields - from multi-brand online shopping (including their own brands), the shopping club Zalando Lounge, outlets in 12 German cities, as well as logistics and marketing offers for retailers. In 2022, Zalando generated revenue of 10.3 billion Euro, with roughly 16,000 employees. History Zalando was founded in 2008 by Robert Gentz and David Schneider in Berlin with investment capital from the three Samwer brothers. Gentz, Schneider and Oliver Samwer met each other through their studies at WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management. Inspired by US online retailer Zappos.com, Zalando initially specialized in the sale of footwear. In 2010, the company launched in the Netherlands and France and added apparel to its portfolio. In 2011, it opened online retail sites in the UK, Italy, and Switzerland. In the following year, Zalando expanded to Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Belgium, Spain, and Poland. In 2012, Zalando began operating outside of Germany offering deliveries to Austria.