Zalando has reported fast growth in its latest financial update, with eight in 10 visits now via mobile devices, and plans to improve the customer experience through better delivery.
Some 84% of 986.4m site visits to the German online retailer and marketplace which delivers to 17 countries in Europe, came through mobile during the quarter. A record 36.1m orders were placed during the quarter.
Zalando chief financial officer David Schröder said: “More customers than ever before have chosen Zalando as their starting point for fashion. This proves that our continuous efforts to deliver a best-in-class fashion experience pay off.”
The retailer is now planning to improve its customer experience by building a new warehouse in the Netherlands this summer to serve Western European customers. In Germany, twice as many parcels are delivered same day or next-day compared to the first quarter, while the retailer is also testing same-day evening delivery in the Zurich region.
The retailer has also expanded across channels by linking more than 1,300 offline stores to its platform.
Schröder added: “Our platform transition continues to accelerate. The growth of our partner program leads to a more attractive and diverse assortment for our customers. We will continue to see GMV (gross merchandise value) growing faster than revenues, fully in-line with our long-term strategy.”
Zalando, ranked Top350 in the IRUK Top500 research, and Top100 in IREU Top500 research, reported group revenue of €1.6bn (£1.46bn) in the quarter to June 30. That’s 20% up from €1.3bn (£1.18bn) a year earlier, while first-half revenue to the same date grew 18% to €2.98bn (£2.7bn) from €2.5bn (£2.3bn) a year earlier. Earnings before interest, tax and asset write downs (EBITDA) came in 35% ahead at €143.3m (£130.6m) in the second quarter, and up by 53% to €167.7m (£152.8m) in the first half. The retailer said that it now expected higher full-year profits to come in at the higher half of the range between €175m (£159.5m) and €225m (£205m).
Image courtesy of Zalando
