Zalando expands connected retail program to Belgium, with 6,000 retailers expected to join by the end of the year

Foreign media reported that German e-commerce platform Zalando is expanding its connected retail program to Belgium . Belgian retailers can now connect their physical stores to the Zalando platform.

C&A is one of the first partners to join the program, while B post is committed to managing deliveries and returns. Goods purchased online come directly from the store's inventory. Similar to Amazon, stores joining the Zalando platform are also required to pay a commission. In order to support stores hit by the epidemic crisis .

Director Carsten Keller (formerly McKinsey) said that through Connected Retail, Zalando hopes to establish physical stores on the platform in an accessible way. Physical stores are still the most important channel for selling clothing. For many people, it is difficult to make money through their own online store , and Connected Retail has lowered this threshold.

According to Keller, owning a laptop or tablet is enough to join the program. Retailers pay commissions only for items actually sold, not for items returned. However, they must be responsible for delivery costs to Belgian partner Bpost. The commission paid by retailers depends on several criteria, such as the value of the goods. By the end of this year, this commission had been halved to the mid-single digit, or about 5% to 6%.

It is reported that the Zalando platform began to experiment with its connected retail program in 2016, in which fashion chains sell their products through the Zalando platform but are responsible for shipping from their stores. This is a different approach from the "Partner Program", in which clothing items are in Zalando's warehouses. In the past, some chains, such as LolaLiza, Paprika and FNG brands, have been sold on Zalando.

In Europe, the program has been launched in a dozen countries, with 4,000 stores already on board. There should be 6,000 by the end of the year.

Zalando will set up a separate Belgian team to persuade Belgian retailers to join the expansion . On the Zalando platform, you can also see whether the goods in the store are in stock. Zalando not only provides connection software, but also online content and payment services . This is an opportunity for Belgian sellers.

Zalando

Connected Retail Program

Belgium