ZEEMAN
Zeeman is a Dutch family-owned textile discounter operating nearly 1,400 stores across eight European countries, selling affordable basic clothing and household textiles directly to budget-conscious consumers via physical retail, nine online stores, and a small B2B channel.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1967
- HeadquartersAlphen Aan De Rijn, Netherlands
- Headcount5,001–10,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What ZEEMAN does
Zeeman (legal entity: ZEEMAN textielSupers B.V.) is a Dutch privately-held textile discounter founded in 1967 by Jan Zeeman and headquartered in Alphen aan den Rijn, Netherlands. The company is 100% owned by the Zeeman family and operates a low-cost, high-volume retail model selling basic clothing and household textiles directly to budget-conscious consumers through nearly 1,400 physical stores across eight European countries (Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, France, Luxembourg, Austria, Portugal, and Spain) and nine online storefronts. Its assortment is organized around four core categories — baby and children's clothing, legwear, household textiles, and underwear and sleepwear — supplemented by women's and men's fashion and a small non-textile range, with entry prices starting from €1.49.
The business model is built on direct, long-tenured factory relationships (averaging 20–30 years, with 98% of the top 50 suppliers partnered for 5+ years), bulk purchasing leverage (Zeeman represents 30–40% of production at key suppliers), and operational efficiency supported by a mechanized sorting and storage shuttle system at its distribution center near Rotterdam, which leverages inland-waterway logistics from the Port of Rotterdam. Zeeman complements the core offering with the "Resale" secondhand initiative (partnered with Het Goed since June 2021, operating in 6 Dutch and 2 Belgian stores, and recognized with the 2023 Holland Circular Hotspot Circular Award), a B2B channel called "Zeeman Zakelijk" for corporate customers, and a sustainability program that includes Fair Wear Foundation membership (Brand Performance Check score 68% / 'Good' rating in 2024), Better Cotton sourcing (81% of total cotton in 2024), Oeko-Tex certification, and living-wage programmes covering 26% of purchase value across Turkey, South Asia, and East Asia.
Distribution is omnichannel: dense physical retail across eight countries supported by centralized distribution, weekly promotional folders (digital and print), an email newsletter (max twice weekly), and active social presence on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, and LinkedIn. Sustainability is operationally embedded — 8,654 solar panels generating 1.3 MW power the distribution center, and LED lighting covered 82% of stores (1,141 of 1,392) by end-2024. Zeeman does not pursue big sales; clearance discounts (up to 75%) occur twice yearly and unsold inventory is donated to charity via the Sarfath Foundation.
ZEEMAN firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- ZEEMAN
- Legal name
- ZEEMAN textielSupers B.V.
- Website
- https://zeeman.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1967
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 5,001–10,000 employees
- Short description
- Zeeman is a Dutch family-owned textile discounter operating nearly 1,400 stores across eight European countries, selling affordable basic clothing and household textiles directly to budget-conscious consumers via physical retail, nine online stores, and a small B2B channel.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
ZEEMAN industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Discount Textile and Apparel Retail
- NAICS
- Clothing and Clothing Accessories Retailers (45811)
- SIC
- Retail-Apparel & Accessory Stores (5600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Off-Price Department Stores (Apparel-Led) (CRAEABAB)
Keywords
Where ZEEMAN is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Alphen Aan De Rijn
- HQ country
- Netherlands
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
ZEEMAN business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Retail Product Sales: Zeeman generates revenue through direct retail sales of clothing and textiles across physical stores and online platforms. Products include baby & children's clothes, legwear, household textiles, underwear & sleepwear, women's and men's fashion, and non-textiles. The company operates on a low-cost, high-volume retail model with prices starting as low as €1.49.
- Resale of Secondhand Clothing: In collaboration with Het Goed, Zeeman sells secondhand clothing in 6 Dutch stores and 2 Belgian stores under the Resale brand since June 2021. This initiative gives used clothing a second life and diversifies revenue streams.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Budget-friendly basic textiles and clothing |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
ZEEMAN product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ZEEMAN is a Dutch discount textile retailer that sells affordable basic clothing and household textiles directly to consumers through nearly 1,400 physical stores and 9 online stores across 8 European countries. Its assortment is built around four core product groups — baby & children's clothing, legwear, household textiles, and underwear & sleepwear — supported by adjacent women's and men's fashion plus a small range of non-textile items. The company operates a low-cost, high-volume model with prices starting at €1.49, complemented by a circular 'Resale' secondhand clothing initiative in selected Dutch and Belgian stores.
Product overview
Zeeman is a European textile discounter operating nearly 1,400 stores across eight countries (Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, France, Luxembourg, Austria, Portugal, and Spain) plus nine online stores. The company offers a focused portfolio organized around four core product groups: baby & children's clothing, legwear, household textiles, and underwear & sleepwear, supplemented by women's and men's fashion. Product offerings include Zeeman's private-label basics (underwear, socks, T-shirts), third-party branded items (Wilkinson, Reebok, Lotto), and the Resale secondhand initiative. Zeeman's business model centers on simple designs, large-volume purchasing, direct factory partnerships, and minimal packaging to maintain the lowest possible prices.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Baby & Children's Clothing (Baby & Kind) Core assortment of bodysuits, outfits, footwear, and basic apparel for infants and children, offered at the lowest price points in the assortment. Recognized as best store chain for baby and children's clothing in Netherlands, Belgium, France and Germany.
- Legwear (socks, tights, stockings) Socks, tights and stockings for women, men and children, including private-label basics and licensed brands such as Wilkinson, Reebok and Lotto, sold individually and in multi-packs at low unit prices.
- Underwear & Sleepwear Basic underwear and sleepwear for women, men and children, including multi-packs (e.g., 3-pak and 4-pak slips/boxers) at entry-level price points.
- Household Textiles (Thuis) Bed linens, bath textiles and household basics for everyday home use, sold at discount price points alongside clothing.
- Women's Fashion (Dames) Casual women's clothing including dresses, tops, shorts, swimwear and underwear, sold at low price points across physical stores and online storefronts.
- Men's Fashion (Heren) Casual men's clothing including T-shirts, shorts, polo shirts and underwear at low prices.
- Zeeman Basics private-label line ZEEMAN's private-label basics line offering essential textiles — underwear, socks, T-shirts and basic apparel — at the lowest price points (from €2.49).
- Resale (Secondhand Clothing) Circular resale initiative operated jointly with Het Goed, selling pre-owned garments in select Zeeman stores in the Netherlands and Belgium to give clothing a second life.
- Non-textiles (food and household cleaning) Supplementary non-textile assortment including food items and household cleaning products sold in stores alongside textiles.
- Zeeman Zakelijk (B2B corporate channel) Dedicated B2B sales channel offering bulk orders of basic textiles and apparel to corporate customers and organizations.
- Weekfolder (Weekly Promotional Leaflet) Weekly promotional catalogue featuring current discounted products, available digitally and in printed form to drive in-store and online traffic.
Quantifiable outcome
- 92% of cotton consumption from more sustainable options (2024)
- +7 more outcomes
Companies that use ZEEMAN
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments8 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
ZEEMAN technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
ZEEMAN partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
20 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Pakistan AccordcoreZeeman signed the Pakistan Accord on January 24, 2023, contributing to improvements in safety and working conditions in Pakistan. Follows the Bangladesh Accord model.
- International Accord for Health and Safety in the Textile and Garment IndustrycoreZeeman signed the International Accord in August 2021 for a period of 26 months, initially covering Bangladesh and expanding to other countries. The accord ensures legally binding safety improvements in textile factories.
- Het GoedcoreCollaboration since June 2021 for Resale initiative selling secondhand clothing in 6 Dutch stores and 2 Belgian stores. Het Goed operates sorting centers and thrift stores, giving clothing a second life. Everything collected is donated to Het Goed for sorting, resale, and recycling.
- Fair Wear FoundationcoreSince October 2019, Zeeman has been a member of Fair Wear Foundation. Fair Wear audits factories on working conditions, reviews Zeeman's efforts annually through Brand Performance Checks, and provides guidance on living wage calculations. The partnership ensures safe working environments, living wages, and no excessive overtime in manufacturing.
- Better CottoncorePartnership since 2015 to make the collection more sustainable and improve cotton cultivation processes worldwide. Better Cotton focuses on social conditions and environmental impact. In 2024, Better Cotton accounted for 81% of Zeeman's total cotton consumption.
- Oeko-TexcoreMore and more Zeeman products carry the 'Confidence in Textiles' (Oeko-Tex) quality label, which guarantees that textiles are free of harmful substances.
- PrénatalcorePartnership for living wage at shared factory in Southern India where Zeeman and Prénatal account for over 90% of the factory's orders. Together they close the wage gap for nearly 100%.
- Schijvens Corporate FashioncorePartnership for women's labor participation project in Pakistan. In 2024, joined with Schijvens to launch project at 3 factories (2 Zeeman suppliers) where 30 women per factory receive training for sewing workshop work.
- TÜV RheinlandminorPartnership for additional random quality testing. Items (particularly high-risk items) are taken directly from shelves and tested. In 2024, 437 samples were taken with 93% meeting safety standards.
- bAwearminorPartnership for collecting supply chain data and supplementing with secondary data for product impact calculations as part of environmental impact roadmap.
- Impact InstituteminorPartnership for CO2 impact calculations and cost calculations related to environmental impact assessment. Also conducting base measurement of Zeeman's total environmental impact.
- MODINTminorIndustry organization for exchanging data with other retailers to reduce time spent on data collection and focus on reducing environmental impact.
- New Order of Fashion (NOoF)minorPartnership for training stylists on innovations and possibilities for recycling, incorporated into conscious design practices guide.
- FrankenhuisminorPartner with NOoF for training stylists on recycling innovations and sustainable design practices.
- SolidaridadminorPartner in Better Mill project with textile companies and wet-processing suppliers in Bangladesh, focusing on reducing energy/water consumption and safer chemical handling.
- Open Supply HubcorePlatform where 100% of Zeeman's first-tier suppliers and part of second-tier suppliers are disclosed. Any overlap with other brands and retailers is visible, enabling transparency about production locations.
- UNICEFcorePartnership within Supply Chain Project Turkey aimed at improving children's rights in and around textile factories, based on Children's Rights and Business Principles (CRBP).
- Fair Labor Association (FLA)coreLocal implementation partner for UNICEF project in Turkey, visiting suppliers and subcontractors for assessments and recommendations on children's rights.
- GoodweaveminorNGO committed to eliminating child and forced labor in the industry. Zeeman participated in Goodweave program in Panipat region of northern India to gain full picture of supply chain.
- Sarfath FoundationminorFixed partner for donating unsold items. Donated items end up with people who can use them, in Transylvania, Romania and in Syria.
Scale indicators12 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
ZEEMAN competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Primark: Irish-headquartered apparel-led value retailer operating across Europe with hundreds of stores selling low-price clothing, home textiles, and basics — the closest functional competitor to Zeeman's discount apparel-and-textile model.
- Action: Dutch-headquartered variety discount retailer with thousands of stores across Europe; overlaps with Zeeman on low-price household textiles, legwear, and basics sold to value-conscious consumers.
- Pepco: European discount variety retailer offering low-price clothing, home textiles, and household goods across CEE and Western Europe, directly competing for the same value-driven shopper as Zeeman.
- Kik: German textile discounter operating a large store network focused on low-priced clothing, household textiles, and basics; comparable to Zeeman in assortment depth and value positioning.
- Takko Fashion: German-headquartered budget apparel and textile retailer with a multi-country European store footprint; directly competes with Zeeman on affordable family and basics apparel.
- NKD: German textile discounter operating several hundred European stores selling low-priced clothing, socks, underwear, and home textiles — overlapping assortment and target customer with Zeeman.
Broad incumbents
- H&M: Swedish fast-fashion incumbent with thousands of stores across Europe and globally; broader assortment and higher fashion profile but competes for the same European apparel shopper Zeeman targets.
- C&A: Dutch/German-founded apparel retailer with extensive European store coverage; competes with Zeeman across family apparel and basics at accessible price points.
- Lidl: German discount supermarket chain with expanding non-food textile ranges sold at value prices; competes with Zeeman on apparel basics, legwear, and household textiles in the same European geographies.
Emerging players
- Woolworth (Netherlands): Re-launched Dutch variety discount chain selling low-priced household textiles, clothing, and basics; emerging Dutch competitor overlapping Zeeman's assortment and budget positioning.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
ZEEMAN social profiles
Digital presenceZEEMAN compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
ZEEMAN financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
ZEEMAN leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
ZEEMAN funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
ZEEMAN M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about ZEEMAN
What does ZEEMAN do?
ZEEMAN is a Dutch discount textile retailer that sells affordable basic clothing and household textiles directly to consumers through nearly 1,400 physical stores and 9 online stores across 8 European countries. Its assortment is built around four core product groups — baby & children's clothing, legwear, household textiles, and underwear & sleepwear — supported by adjacent women's and men's fashion plus a small range of non-textile items. The company operates a low-cost, high-volume model with prices starting at €1.49, complemented by a circular 'Resale' secondhand clothing initiative in selected Dutch and Belgian stores.
Is ZEEMAN a public or private company?
ZEEMAN is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was ZEEMAN founded?
ZEEMAN was founded in 1967. It employs 5,001 to 10,000 people.
Where is ZEEMAN based?
ZEEMAN is headquartered in Alphen Aan De Rijn, Netherlands, in the Europe region.
How does ZEEMAN make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Retail Product Sales are the primary driver. The others are resale of Secondhand Clothing.
Who are ZEEMAN's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Primark, Action, Pepco, Kik, Takko Fashion and NKD. Broad incumbents are H&M, C&A and Lidl. Woolworth (Netherlands) is listed as an emerging player.
Does ZEEMAN have an API?
No public API is recorded for ZEEMAN.
What industry is ZEEMAN in?
ZEEMAN's product category is Discount Textile and Apparel Retail. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAEABAB, Off-Price Department Stores (Apparel-Led). Its NAICS code is 45811 and its SIC code is 5600.