Zalando is making the switch to offline sales. The retail giant plans to open flagship stores in cities such as Berlin, London and Paris. In addition, the company will engage in 3D printing of clothes, including for other.
These ambitions are expressed by top executive Rubin Ritter in an interview with German magazine Manager Magazin. According to Ritter, Zalando can achieve success in physical shopping streets in large cities. After all, many of its online customers come from there. "For them, it could be interesting to experience the brand offline as well." The fashion retailer already has physical branches in some German cities, but these are mainly outlet shops in remote locations.
3D printing as a new business model
Ritter expects 3D printing to have a major impact on the fashion industry. The retailer is therefore considering setting up a factory division, in which it can also provide 3D printing for small and medium-sized fashion companies. "It would be a big advantage if we could reprint our best-selling trainers in Berlin, for example," Ritter said. The top executive thinks 3D printing could become an important part of Zalando's business model, alongside its current fulfilment offering. In late 2016, Zalando first positioned itself as a logistics service provider with the introduction of Fulfilment at Zalando. The German fashion giant stocks products for third parties to ship to web shoppers after purchase.
Editorial LogistiekProfs
