Zalando zalando.de

Zalando was founded in Berlin in autumn 2008 by university friends Robert Gentz and David Schneider, who initially ran the business from a shared apartment on Torstraße that doubled as office and warehouse, handling customer service and parcel drop-off themselves; Rubin Ritter joined the management board roughly two years later. The company expanded into Austria in its first year, then the Netherlands and France in 2010, and Italy, the UK and Switzerland in 2011, reaching what it describes as 25 European markets. The registered entity is Zalando SE, based at Valeska-Gert-Straße 5 in Berlin (Amtsgericht Charlottenburg, HRB 158855 B).

The company describes its current business as having moved from a fashion retailer to an online platform connecting customers, brands, retailers, stylists and advertisers, employing more than 15,000 people from about 140 countries and operating 12 fulfillment centers across Europe.

Zalando built its early reputation on free delivery and a long right of return; the return window, previously up to 100 days, was shortened to 30 days as of January 2025, with return shipping within Germany remaining free when using the provided return label.