Zalando's strategy in action: becoming Europe's go-to destination for sports

Last year, Zalando unveiled a new strategy to build a pan-European e-commerce ecosystem for fashion and lifestyle. A key pillar of this plan is a significant focus on growing and expanding our Sports category and transforming it into a distinct lifestyle proposition. We spoke with Nina Graf-Vlachy, General Manager of Sports, about her team's progress on the journey of making Zalando Europe's leading name in sports shopping.

Why is the Sports category such an important focus for Zalando right now?

It's about more than just the product, though. How are you elevating the experience to build that credibility?

Absolutely, the experience is everything. Our vision is to create an inspiring and educational environment, similar to a digital sports magazine. This comes to life in what we call our ‘Worlds of Sport’ — dedicated online hubs for each key sport, filled with brand stories, athlete features, and expert advice. A perfect example is our relaunch of the Cycling hub in April. We completely revamped the customer journey and introduced 15 new specialist brands, including Isadore, Le Col, and Castelli, which join other highly credible brands like Rapha that were already available on Zalando. This curated approach ensures our customers can easily find the specific, high-quality products they need for their favourite sport. And it’s already paid off, with sales in our Cycling category showing year-over-year growth of over 70% since the relaunch.

The main focus of the past months has been on elevating our World of Running. In our newest weekly content series launched last month, the Race Lab, we are testing and evaluating highly technical racing shoes and showcase the results in a highly compelling and understandable manner for our customers.

Beyond the digital experience, how do you connect with sports culture and customers in an authentic way?

We connect with the community offline by embedding Zalando authentically within sports culture through key event partnerships. For instance, we headlined the 10th anniversary of the LAAX OPEN, Europe’s biggest freestyle event, with on-site activations that engaged athletes and fans. To inspire runners, we've established partnerships with the NN Marathon Rotterdam, the Copenhagen Half Marathon, and expanded our collaboration with one of the most prestigious running events globally, the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON.

Engaging with sports communities authentically is key. How do you go beyond simple brand visibility and create genuine value when participating in sporting events?

Let’s continue with the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON as an example. We're now the event's main sponsor, with our collaboration set to run for the next two years. But for us, it’s so much more than just sponsorship: it’s a great example of how we’re creating a holistic experience for Zalando customers. We wanted to support the participants at every step of their journey. In the lead-up to the race, we’re turning our Berlin Outlet Store into a dedicated Zalando Run Zone. Runners can come in for a professional running analysis to fine-tune their technique or personalise their gear. It’s our way of helping them feel prepared and confident. Beyond that, we're tapping into the incredible community spirit of running by launching a Strava Challenge to raise funds for the German Sport Aid Foundation, giving every kilometre a greater purpose. On the race day itself, we’ll be right there on the course. We’ve partnered with adidas to create a massive Zalando Cheer Zone at the 32-kilometre mark — that tough spot where runners need the biggest boost. We want to be the ones providing that wave of energy and encouragement to help carry them to the finish line.

This holistic experience also extends to our entire community. With Zalando Plus, for example, we’re raffling tickets to the marathon and introducing dedicated Sports Missions, where members can earn points for sharing their sports preferences. All of this, of course, helps us in personalizing their shopping with journey even more, every time they engage with us. Moreover, with our new marketing campaign, ‘Get More From Your Run’, we introduce seven inspiring runners and their personal stories to show that running can mean something different for everyone. One of them is a Zalando employee  and enthusiastic marathon runner who proves that it's never too late to start running, having discovered her passion for running at age 44 and preparing to complete her 86th marathon at the age of 65. Sharing such stories is part of our effort to inspire our customers and support them in living an active lifestyle.

Finally, what’s next on the roadmap for Sports at Zalando?

We'll continue working on creating innovative customer experiences, inspiring and educating our customers with 'Worlds of Sport' hubs, deepening brand partnerships, and adding to our curated assortment. Ultimately, our goal is to help our customers find products that fit their specific sports needs while inspiring and supporting them in leading an active lifestyle. And we do this in partnership with the most innovative and inspiring sports brands of the world.
Last but not least, 2026 will be a big year for football globally, and you can expect that to be reflected in our approach to creating engaging and exciting customer experiences. Stay tuned!