Fashion has spent the past decade talking about personalisation. Zalando has spent the last five years quietly building it.

TLDR:

• Personalisation powers every part of Zalando’s business - from content to logistics.

• Generative AI slashed campaign time by 80% and boosted conversions.

• This is infrastructure-level personalisation, not just product suggestions.

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Personalisation's Tipping Point

As online retail becomes faster, more visual, and more socially driven, Zalando has gone far beyond recommendation widgets. They’re re-engineering the customer experience from the ground up -blending AI, logistics and content into a seamless, personalised journey.

This isn’t plug-and-play tech. It’s personalisation as infrastructure.

What Zalando has done

1.    Content Creation with Generative AI

• In 2025, Zalando launched in-house generative AI tools to create campaign visuals and digital models.

• This has cut campaign lead times from six weeks to under one.

• It also enables hyper-localised campaigns, tailored to regional style sensibilities.

2.    Algorithmic Fashion Discovery

• Early investment in Zalon, its personal styling platform, laid the groundwork. Zalon was subsequently integrated into Zalando Plus.

• Zalando offers a personalised homepage and feed driven by mood, intent and historical behaviour.

• Behind the scenes, editorial AI models guide users through trend narratives and categories.

3.    Logistics + Backend Personalisation

• Predictive sizing and fit tools help shoppers choose with greater confidence.

• Smart inventory placement means items are delivered quicker, with less friction.

• Return data actively shapes future recommendations, tightening the feedback loop.

4.  More Personal and Smart Assistance

• Zalando's assistant can now recognise where customers are within the Zalando platform and provide tailored conversation starters accordingly.

• The assistant is now connected to customer accounts, allowing it to understand individual preferences and shopping history. Recent pilot phase demonstrated a +40% increase in high-value interactions (e.g. a like or an add to card).

Results so far

• Uplifts in conversion for AI-personalised product feeds (2022–2024 Zalando Investor Relations Reports).

• Lower return rates, especially in footwear and womenswear.

• Campaign cycle times reduced from 6 weeks to less than 1, reducing costs by 90%.

• Increased engagement from Gen Z users who favour visual and values-led discovery.

What we can learn

1. Personalisation is an Operating Model, Not a Bolt-On
It’s most powerful when embedded into logistics, content, and CX - not tacked onto the product grid.

2. You Must Own the Feedback Loop
Your data is only as useful as your ability to learn and act from it in near real-time.

3. Visual Personalisation is the Next Battleground
Your customers don’t just want relevant products. They want to see themselves in your brand.

Looking Ahead

If Zalando can do this at scale, what could a 10,000-customer brand do with the same mindset? Where in your journey does friction slow the sale and how might AI help remove it? 

As ever, I hope this gives you something timely and useful as you take the next step in your business’ journey.