Zalando has teamed up with Adidas to test the fulfillment of orders outside the Zalando Shop. In Paris, the two long-term partners are running a test on how to efficiently steer logistics capacity. During the trials, Zalando will deliver goods from its own logistics center in Moissy-Cramayel to Adidas customers in Paris.
Zalando has launched a pilot to deliver goods ordered on the adidas.fr. The Pilot, which started at the beginning of August, is Zalando’s first trial when it comes to multi-channel models. With this approach, the company aims to provide brand partners with additional and easier ways to connect to the Zalando platform.
According to Jan Bartels, SVP Customer Fulfillment of Zalando, “The test is an important step within our platform strategy. We are very happy that we are once more joining forces with our long-term partner, Adidas, to test an exciting approach where we create synergies for the benefit of our customers. Adidas customers benefit from faster delivery, and Zalando customers benefit because the pilot allows us to extend Zalando’s same-day delivery areas…”.
Adidas’ SVP Supply Chain Management Europe, Alexandra Morton, added, “As a sports company, we know that speed wins. Today our target group, the Creators, live in a constantly changing world, which shapes their behavior and expectations. This is where the pilot comes in, where Adidas customers in the strategically important city of Paris benefit from faster delivery. The pilot project shows what distinguishes our long-standing and successful partnership. Adidas and Zalando share a passion for experimentation and innovation. This gives us the opportunity to try new things continuously. We are excited to see how our customers take up this offer.”
Bartel said Zalando is not worried that helping brands like Adidas with their own eCommerce operations will draw customers away from its site because it believes most shoppers want to buy a range of brands. “We are not afraid of cannibalization. We have a very strong proposition in multibrand retailing,” he said. “We are still a fashion platform.”
The trial will initially run for 6-12 months, after which both partners will evaluate the results.
