Zalando Group and major retailers launch unified questionnaire and digital tool to measure due diligence maturity and enable collective action across the fashion industry

Berlin, 10 February, 2026. As sustainability and supply chain data demands on fashion companies intensify, a fragmented landscape of initiatives and systems has emerged. While well-intentioned, these disparate solutions have created a significant administrative burden, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises. To drive operational efficiency and accelerate progress, Zalando and About You, alongside five leading retailers, are proud to announce the launch of Retailer Brand Due Diligence Questionnaire and One Retail Hub. Together, these solutions provide a unified methodology and a free digital infrastructure to streamline compliance on Human Rights and Environmental Due Diligence (HREDD) for the apparel and footwear sector. 

The Retailer Brand Due Diligence Questionnaire is a simplified HREDD self-assessment questionnaire (SAQ) co-developed through a collaborative effort between Cascale, Fair Wear and lead retailers ABOUT YOU, ASOS, Boozt, Ellos Group, New Look, The Very Group and Zalando. By consolidating requirements from multiple business partners into a single streamlined questionnaire, it eliminates fragmented reporting and ensures brand partners are measured against fair, universally recognised criteria. 

Informed by OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains in the Garment and Footwear Sector and further sector-specific standards, this questionnaire establishes a consistent, industry-wide baseline for ethical sourcing. This allows companies to navigate a complex reporting landscape, ensuring resources are directed where they are most needed to foster a more resilient and responsible supply chain.

“With Retailer Brand Due Diligence Questionnaire and One Retail Hub, we are moving from complexity to clarity. Many existing tools add administrative weight to supply chain assessments, which can hinder fast, effective decision-making,” says Pascal Brun, VP of Sustainability at Zalando. “We have bridged the practical needs of retailers with the industry knowledge of Cascale and Fair Wear to design a granular yet simplified tool. It allows for a precise diagnosis and, crucially, an immediate roadmap for corrective action.”

“Fair Wear is proud to bring our deep expertise in worker-centred due diligence to the development of the SAQ. Working with Cascale in The Industry We Want and the Retailer Round Table, we’ve created a shared, credible starting point for brands and retailers that promotes efficiency and reduces duplication across the sector. The SAQ lays the groundwork for clearer expectations, emphasising the role retailers play in encouraging brands to move toward impactful due diligence and real improvements for workers. Moreover, our organisations have the tools and guidance readily available to help brands advance in their HREDD journey.”, Annabel Meurs, Executive Director at Fair Wear.

One Retail Hub is a free digital tool built in partnership between TrusTrace and the retailers to facilitate seamless data exchange. This platform allows brands to engage with the HREDD questionnaire continuously rather than reacting to ad-hoc requests, introducing predictability into the reporting cycle.

The platform streamlines risk assessment and decision-making by offering AI-assisted completion — utilising sustainability reports and existing documentation — and allowing brands to share responses with multiple retailers and MSIs instantly. Beyond visibility, One Retail Hub provides a data-driven mechanism to identify gaps, offering real-time results and tailored recommendations for effective remediation and corrective measures.

“One Retail Hub is not just about individual brand compliance; it’s about enabling a total transformation of the fashion ecosystem when it comes to data,” explains David Reiner, Ethical Sourcing Lead at Zalando and Project Manager for One Retail Hub. “Removing the semantical, technological and financial barriers for data flows was essential. By making this easily accessible, free of cost, we ensure that progress isn’t a competitive advantage, but a shared industry standard.”