What Zalando Marketing Services does

Zalando Marketing Services (ZMS) is the B2B marketing and advertising division within Zalando SE, a publicly listed European fashion e-commerce group headquartered in Berlin. ZMS provides fashion, footwear, sportswear, lifestyle, and beauty brands with tools and services to sell and advertise on Zalando's marketplace across 25+ European markets reaching 50M+ engaged shoppers. Its core products include the ZMS Ad Manager (a self-service advertising platform supporting Sponsored Products and Sponsored Collections), zDirect (the partner-facing portal with KPI dashboards), Brand Homes (self-service brand storytelling), and Creative and Media services for content production. Supporting technology includes the Fashion Connector Importer (FCI) API for inventory integration, Order Events API webhooks, Okta-powered Zalando Partner Login SSO, and the Customer Experience Model (CXM) monitoring tool measuring DoT, RoT, cancellation rate, tracking coverage, and order quality.

ZMS operates three partnership models: Wholesale (bulk purchasing), Partner Program (direct selling on Zalando with commission), and Connected Retail (brick-and-mortar stores integrating stock via FCI). The business generates revenue from marketplace commissions on Partner Program sales, auction-based advertising fees in ZMS Ad Manager, and managed logistics services under the ZEOS umbrella (Zalando Fulfilment Solutions, Shipping Solutions, and Return Solutions). Pricing is not publicly disclosed; Ad Manager uses auction pricing with a recommended €35/day minimum budget per market, while logistics fees vary by service level and commission rates are individually negotiated.

AI/ML is embedded in sponsored-product ranking, the broader article-recommendation algorithm (which learns continuously from onsite customer interactions), predictive fraud and refund-risk screening, and the 2025-launched Partner Assistant AI chatbot. The company also supports partner compliance with GDPR, EPR, the EU Battery Regulation (effective August 2025), and the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (effective August 2026).

Name

Zalando Marketing Services

Legal name

Zalando SE

Website

https://partner.zalando.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Zalando Marketing Services (ZMS) is the B2B advertising and marketing division within Zalando SE, providing fashion, lifestyle, and sportswear brands self-service advertising (ZMS Ad Manager), creative services, and integrated ZEOS logistics to reach 50M+ shoppers across 25+ European markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Retail Media Platform

NAICS

Advertising Agencies (54181), Media Buying Agencies (54183), Clothing and Clothing Accessories Retailers (45811), General Merchandise Retailers (455)

SIC

Retail-Department Stores (5311), Services-Management Services (8741)

akta.pro primary industry

Search Engine Marketing (SEM) Media Buying (MPAAABAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wholesale/B2B Generalist Marketplaces (CRAFAAAF), B2C E-commerce Fulfillment Centers (TLALADAA), Cross-border Fulfillment, Customs Brokerage & Duties Management (CRAFAMAI), Promotional Product Distribution & Fulfillment (BPAFAMAB)

Keywords

• Retail media services
• Marketplace advertising
• Fashion e-commerce
• Logistics fulfillment
• Brand marketing

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin, Deutschland

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Marketplace Commission: Partners pay commissions on sales facilitated through the Zalando platform. The Partner Program operates on a commission basis with varying rates.
2. Advertising (ZMS): Zalando Marketing Services generates revenue through sponsored product placements, branded collections, and advertising campaigns on the platform. Partners bid for visibility slots.
3. Logistics Services (ZEOS): Zalando offers fulfillment services (ZFS), shipping solutions (ZSS), and return solutions (ZRS) through ZEOS logistics network, providing partners access to Europe's fashion logistics infrastructure.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Zalando Marketing Services is the B2B marketing and advertising division of Zalando SE, providing brand partners with self-service advertising tools (ZMS Ad Manager), creative content services, and media buying to promote products on Zalando's European fashion marketplace. The division also bundles integrated logistics services (ZEOS network) for fulfillment, shipping, and returns, enabling fashion and lifestyle brands to access over 50 million engaged shoppers across 25+ European markets through a single platform partnership.

Product overview

Zalando Marketing Services (ZMS) operates as a division within the Zalando Partner ecosystem, providing a comprehensive suite of marketing and logistics services for fashion and lifestyle brands. The core marketing offering is ZMS Ad Manager—a self-service advertising platform within zDirect enabling partners to create branding and performance campaigns including Sponsored Products for conversion and Sponsored Collections for consideration. Supporting this are Creative and Media services for content creation. On the logistics side, ZMS leverages ZEOS as the unified platform providing Zalando Fulfilment Solutions (ZFS), Zalando Shipping Solutions (ZSS), and Zalando Return Solutions (ZRS) for end-to-end order management. Partners access these services through the zDirect portal, with educational support via Zalando Partner University. Additional tools include Customer Experience Model (CXM) for performance monitoring, Fashion Connector Importer (FCI) and Order Events API for technical integration, and Brand Homes for brand storytelling.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ZMS Ad Manager: Self-service advertising tool within zDirect allowing partners to create and manage marketing campaigns including Sponsored Products and Sponsored Collections.
• Zalando Partner University
• zDirect

Products and services

• ZMS Ad Manager Self-service advertising platform within zDirect enabling partners to create and manage branding and performance marketing campaigns on Zalando in less than five minutes, including Sponsored Products for conversion and Sponsored Collections for consideration.
• ZMS Creative Creative content production service for brand partners, providing marketing asset creation to support campaigns on Zalando.
• ZMS Media Media buying service for brand partners running performance and branding campaigns on the Zalando marketplace and external channels.
• ZEOS Logistics Platform Unified logistics platform offered by Zalando providing partners with access to warehousing, transportation, and returns management capabilities across European markets through ZFS, ZSS, and ZRS services.
• Zalando Fulfilment Solutions (ZFS) Fulfilment service within ZEOS that gives partners access to Zalando's warehousing and order processing capabilities for Zalando platform orders.
• Zalando Shipping Solutions (ZSS) Cross-border shipping service within ZEOS enabling partners to leverage Zalando's transport infrastructure while maintaining their own warehousing.
• Zalando Return Solutions (ZRS) Returns management service within ZEOS in which Zalando handles end-customer returns for partners, with options for inbounding to Zalando warehouses (ZRS Plus) or forwarding back to partner warehouses (ZRS Pure).
• Partner Program Commission-based marketplace partnership model allowing brands to sell directly to consumers on Zalando's online shops with full integration of catalog, order, and performance data.
• Connected Retail Omnichannel partnership model that integrates brick-and-mortar store stock locations with Zalando's online shops through the Fashion Connector Importer (FCI) API for direct-to-consumer fulfillment from physical retail.
• Wholesale Traditional wholesale partnership model where partners supply inventory in bulk to Zalando for resale across its online shops.

Quantifiable outcome

• 107M impressions, 103M unique Zalando users reached, +153% uplift in PDP Views for On sportswear launch campaign
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

AI capability6 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• adidasflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Major athletic brand adidas partnered with Zalando for 'Perfect Fusion' campaign targeting female footballers. The partnership demonstrates collaborative marketing approach to reach sports audiences.
• lululemonflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Premium athletic apparel brand lululemon partnered with Zalando for EMEA expansion. The partnership featured a collaborative content approach with interviews with senior leaders (Sarah Clark, SVP EMEA) highlighting the personal relationships with movement and how this influences business operations.
• OncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwiss sportswear brand On launched on Zalando achieving significant results: 107M impressions, 103M unique Zalando users reached, +153% uplift in PDP Views. Case study demonstrates platform's marketing impact for sportswear brands.
• LIEWOODcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerScandinavian children's and lifestyle brand LIEWOOD scales through Zalando partnership, accessing Zalando's marketing services and European customer base.
• The North FacecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOutdoor apparel brand The North Face partnered with Zalando for presence at LAAX OPEN 2026, demonstrating event-driven partnership approach.
• Designers RemixminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDanish fashion brand Designers Remix featured in exclusive collection partnership with Zalando Marketing Services, showcasing creative collaboration.
• ZEOS (Logistics Service Provider)coreTechnology or IntegrationZEOS is Zalando's logistics service provider offering ZFS (Fulfilment Solutions), ZSS (Shipping Solutions), and ZRS (Return Solutions). Partners can integrate their fulfillment with Zalando's European logistics network through ZEOS services.
• Logistics Carriers (DHL, Hermes, Swiss Post, etc.)coreTechnology or IntegrationNetwork of authorized last-mile carriers across European markets including DHL Paket, Hermes, Swiss Post, Österreichische Post, DPD, Post NL, DHL eCommerce, BPost, Royal Mail, Evri, AnPost, PostNord, InPost, Poste Italiane, UPS, and others. Partners must use authorized carriers for last-mile delivery.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• The Trade Desk: Global independent demand-side ad-buying platform. Comparable as it competes for the same retail-media and brand-direct advertising budgets that ZMS Ad Manager targets, although it focuses on open-web media rather than owned-marketplace inventory.
• Otto Group Marketing Services / Otto Brand Connect: German multi-brand retailer operating the Otto marketplace with partner marketing services for brands selling across DACH. Direct competitor to ZMS for DACH-region fashion and lifestyle brand partnerships.
• Amazon Advertising (Amazon Marketing Services): The dominant retail-media network globally, offering Sponsored Products and Sponsored Brands. Comparable because it competes for the same fashion and lifestyle brand advertising budgets that ZMS targets, though Amazon operates across all categories and geographies.

Direct peers

• Criteo: Retail-media and advertising-tech provider specializing in e-commerce sponsored placements and personalized retargeting. Comparable because it monetizes fashion e-commerce traffic via auction-based ad placements analogous to ZMS Ad Manager.
• About You Group (SCAYLE / B2B Marketing Services): European fashion marketplace with a partner/marketing services model similar to Zalando Marketing Services, including SCAYLE commerce platform and B2B marketing offerings. Direct competitor for fashion brand partnerships across DACH and broader Europe.
• Wayfair Partner Ads: Home-goods marketplace operating a partner advertising platform with sponsored placements analogous to ZMS Sponsored Products. Direct comparable in marketplace-retail-media business model, though its category is home rather than fashion.
• ASOS Marketplace / Partner Brands: UK-headquartered fashion marketplace offering third-party brand partnerships and marketing services in Europe. Competes with ZMS for European fashion brand mindshare and advertising spend.

Regional players

• Bol.com Sponsored Products: Dutch/Belgian generalist marketplace with a retail-media sponsored-products offering similar to ZMS Ad Manager. Comparable business model, but its geographic focus on NL/BE means it overlaps with rather than directly competes in most of ZMS's other 23+ markets.
• Cdiscount Pro / Cnova Marketing Services: French generalist marketplace with B2B marketing services for brand partners. Comparable marketplace + advertising model to ZMS but limited primarily to France rather than pan-European coverage.

Emerging players

• Etsy Ads (now part of Etsy Inc.): Marketplace-operated self-service advertising platform for third-party sellers. Operates an auction-based promoted-listings model similar to ZMS Ad Manager, though Etsy focuses on handmade/vintage rather than fashion/lifestyle.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/zms-zalando

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Zalando Marketing Services