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Connected Retail: Local Stores in Belgium Can Now Reach Millions of Zalando Customers Online

June 23, 2021
Convenience
  • Connected Retail offers an online solution for brick-and-mortar stores of any size in Belgium
  • C&A joins Connected Retail in Belgium as one of the first partners
  • To support stores, retailers will benefit from lowered commissions and weekly payouts until the end of the year
  • Belgian customers will soon be able to support their local stores with a filter option to search for items that are shipped directly from stores in their area

BERLIN, JUNE 23, 2021 // Zalando, Europe’s leading online platform for fashion and lifestyle, is launching its Connected Retail program in Belgium. As of today, Belgian retailers of any size can connect their stores directly to the Zalando platform and sell their products to millions of Zalando customers online. C&A is one of the first partners to connect. bpost will partner with Zalando to support them in seamlessly handling deliveries and parcel returns. With Connected Retail, Belgian Zalando customers will be able to support their local stores by choosing “delivery from a store” in the future. To support retailers in counterbalancing the effects of the pandemic, Zalando is reducing commissions until the end of the year and offering weekly payouts to support stores’ liquidity. 

Zalando Connected Retail Carsten Keller

VP Direct to Consumer, Carsten Keller

Zalando SE

“We are very excited to launch Connected Retail in Belgium, one of our core markets. With Connected Retail, we have built a bridge for physical retail stores to sell directly to millions of Zalando customers. Lifestyle retailers in Belgium can start to sell within a few days, test the model without risk, and generate profitable growth. Connected Retail – especially in times of lockdown – has become a growth engine for more than 4,000 stores in Europe,” says Carsten Keller, VP Direct to Consumer at Zalando and Managing Director of Connected Retail. “Together, we want to build the future of retail – a strong partnership that lasts."

Connected Retail is a central part of Zalando’s platform strategy. Stores can easily connect their stock to the platform. Zalando provides the software to connect, online content, payment services, customer care, and dedicated support through a personal account manager and many other services. Brick-and-mortar stores of any size can join the program – retailers only need an internet connection and a printer.

One of the first retailers to join Zalando in Belgium is C&A. Together with Zalando Connected Retail, C&A will make it possible for Zalando customers in Belgium to shop the brand’s products on Zalando and get deliveries directly from C&A stores in Belgium. The first two C&A stores that will be connected are located in the heart of Antwerp (Meir) and Ghent (Korenmarkt).

Mieke van Groningen Head of Operations Benelux at C&A: “‘Anyplace, anytime’ – we want to be where our customers shop, both online and in our stores. Zalando’s Connected Retail solution as a platform for the modern and fashion-conscious consumer is a great addition to our own channels.”

Sofie Geeroms, Managing Director of BeCommerce, a Belgian digital commerce association: “We believe that the future of retail is connected and are excited that Zalando is launching its solution for brick-and-mortar stores in Belgium. Zalando is the leading platform for fashion and lifestyle, and we are convinced local stores can only benefit from their large online customer base when it comes to growing their businesses. We see this as a win-win situation – the Connected Retail program creates new opportunities for local retailers, and for Belgian customers who want to support their local stores.”

The local Connected Retail team will consist of Belgian employees with specific know-how to support retailers in their country. By the end of the year, Zalando wants to onboard over 6,000 stores. Zalando will invest 50 million euros in Connected Retail in 2021. The Connected Retail network currently includes over 4,000 active stores in twelve European markets.

Retailers interested in Zalando’s offer can find more information here.

Zalando SE Boiler Plate EN

About Zalando

Founded in Berlin in 2008, Zalando is Europe’s leading online multi-brand fashion destination. We are building a pan-European ecosystem for fashion and lifestyle e-commerce, along two growth vectors: Business-to-Consumer (B2C) and Business-to-Business (B2B). In B2C, we provide an inspiring, high-quality multi-brand shopping experience for fashion and lifestyle products to more than 50 million active customers across 25 markets. In B2B, we leverage our logistics infrastructure, software, and service capabilities to support brands and retailers in managing and scaling their entire e-commerce business, both on and off the Zalando platform. Through our ecosystem vision, Zalando aims to enable positive change in the fashion and lifestyle industry.