Joint focus on growth and long-term value creation
ABOUT YOU’s operations add scale and complementary capabilities, fully aligning with Zalando’s ecosystem strategy, as communicated in March 2024, to build a pan-European fashion and lifestyle e-commerce ecosystem. The transaction presents compelling value creation opportunities that the two companies, operating in the same industry, can generate by collaborating in a wide range of areas, including B2B, logistics, payments, and commercial collaboration. In the longer term, Zalando targets significant Group EBIT synergies of around 100 million euros per annum.
In the B2C growth vector, adding ABOUT YOU will enable Zalando to implement a dual-brand strategy. Each brand retains its distinct identity while leveraging synergies in logistics, payment infrastructure and commercial collaboration. This strategic move allows the combined entity to provide tailored and separate shopping experiences, effectively meeting the unique needs and preferences of customers.
In the B2B growth vector, ABOUT YOU’s SCAYLE complements Zalando’s B2B vision to build an operating system for fashion and lifestyle. ZEOS, Tradebyte and SCAYLE join forces to help brands and retailers manage their multi-channel business across Europe and beyond with a suite of logistics, software and service offerings.
ABOUT YOU’s management board members Sebastian Betz, Tarek Müller, and Hannes Wiese will continue their successful work in their current roles as part of the combined group.
Underpinning management’s conviction in the value creation of this transaction, Zalando in December 2024 also confirmed its medium-term outlook for the combined group. Zalando, including ABOUT YOU, is expected to grow GMV and revenue until 2028 at a 5-year compound annual growth rate of between 5% and 10%1. The combined group expects an adjusted EBIT margin in 2028 in the corridor of 6% to 8%, yielding a significant increase in absolute profit by creating a combined group at a larger scale. Together, Zalando and ABOUT YOU aim to cover a larger share of the 450-billion-euro European fashion market in the long term.
Zalando will provide a first outlook for the full year 2025 for the combined business when it reports second-quarter results on 6 August 2025.
Born in Europe, built to grow
The combination brings together two founder-led teams with a strong cultural fit, an entrepreneurial track record, and highly complementary capabilities. Both companies built their success on understanding Europe’s unique complexity and hence reflect Europe’s unique strengths – cultural diversity and collaborative innovation across borders and markets.
“Zalando and ABOUT YOU are proof that Europe can produce growth companies for the digital age,” said Gentz. “We are excited about teaming up for the next stage of our joint journey to deliver exciting innovation and sustainable growth at scale across Europe.”
Further information is available at: https://www.the-perfect-fit.de
