Zalando Kids & Family: A localised approach to back-to-school across 29 European markets
Zalando Kids & Family: A localised approach to back-to-school across 29 European markets
Summer may be at its peak, but across Europe, the next school year is already approaching. School calendars vary widely across countries, creating a diverse mosaic of customer needs, shopping behaviours, and moments of demand. To understand how Zalando navigates this important period of the year, we spoke with Veronika Moles, Commercial Director of Kids & Family.
Why is back-to-school such a critical moment for families and for Zalando?
It marks the transition into a new routine, a new school year, and for many children, a new stage of growing up. Every market has its own rhythm. Families begin preparing at different times, influenced by school calendars, local traditions, and even government support programmes in some countries. For example, demand starts building in the Nordics around mid-July and then gradually moves across the continent. In France, we see a significant peak in mid-August, closely aligned with the annual back-to-school allowance paid to families. Understanding these local nuances allows us to meet families with the right products at exactly the right moment. We use insights from these demand patterns to shape our assortment, inventory planning, and the inspiration customers discover on-site.
What are families shopping for as they prepare?
The shopping list starts with school essentials but quickly broadens. Families are looking for everything from sneakers, boots, and backpacks to sportswear and everyday basics. Parents focus on quality, durability, fit, and convenience, while older kids and teenagers are excited about discovering trends and expressing themselves. What unites them is a desire for simplicity. Parents want confidence that they can find everything in one place, while children want products that help them feel ready for the year ahead. Our assortment includes global sports brands such as Nike, Adidas, and New Balance, iconic lifestyle names such as Ralph Lauren, specialist family brands like Liewood and NEXT, and our own private label, Friboo.
How does this season impact the wider Zalando business?
As children prepare for school, many adults are also preparing to return to work, university, sports activities, and everyday routines. Families often start their journey looking for childrenswear and then continue shopping across fashion, sports, lifestyle, and beauty categories. Ultimately, our goal is to make family shopping easier, more inspiring, and more relevant, no matter where families are in Europe or where they are in life’s journey.
What core customer challenges are you solving for families?
The Kids & Family market is one of the largest and most dynamic segments in European fashion, but it remains highly fragmented. Customers often find themselves moving between specialist retailers, single-brand stores, and general marketplaces, trying to piece together solutions for different members of their household. We see an opportunity to create a destination that truly understands families and supports them through every stage of raising children. Historically, many retailers – including ourselves – have treated family shopping as one broad category. We are changing that by moving beyond a one-size-fits-all experience to create journeys tailored to the life stages within each household.
What does the long-term vision for Kids & Family look like?
We want to build the most personalised family shopping experience in Europe. We often compare our vision to modern streaming platforms. One household can have multiple profiles, each tailored to different interests and preferences, while still sitting within a shared family account. A parent might browse for themselves, while their teenager discovers trends relevant to them. Younger children benefit from experiences curated around their age, while parents remain in control of spending and content preferences. It is about recognising that every family is unique and creating experiences that reflect that reality.
To support this, we are building tools to make family shopping easier:
- We invest in improved sizing guidance and prediction tools that help customers make confident choices.
- With our Boards feature, parents can create dedicated collections for specific moments and easily share them with friends and relatives.
- Through our Pre-owned offering, families can give clothes a second life while earning credit towards future purchases
- Finally, we introduced features like Buy Again, making it easier to reorder trusted styles as children grow.
Over the years, we have built strong relationships with millions of family customers across Europe, and that trust is something we continue to invest in every day.
Do these tailored experiences extend beyond the platform?
Absolutely. Last year, we launched the first Zalando Playground in Berlin – a family-focused event designed together with our brand partners. This summer, we are taking that experience to the next level with Playground 2.0 in Paris. Together with partners including adidas, Nike, New Balance, Tommy Hilfiger, and GAP, we are creating an immersive space filled with workshops, activities, and experiences designed specifically for families. It’s another example of how we’re thinking beyond transactions and building deeper connections with our customers.
Looking ahead, what is the ambition for Zalando’s Kids & Family business?
Our ambition is clear: to become the leading destination for families in Europe. Today, kidswear customers are among our most engaged customers, returning frequently and shopping across multiple categories. We see enormous potential to continue growing alongside the families we serve. That growth will come from a combination of factors: strengthening our assortment, delivering more personalised experiences, solving real customer pain points such as sizing and wardrobe management, and creating memorable brand experiences both online and offline. Most importantly, we want to be a trusted partner for families throughout every stage of raising children – from a baby’s first outfit to a teenager’s evolving sense of style. Because while children grow up quickly, the opportunity to support families throughout that journey is much bigger than any single season.