Zalando, the German online fashion giant, has announced a fundamental transformation of its business model, leaving behind a purely transactional approach to enter what the company refers to as the “new era of emotional commerce”. This strategy seeks to redefine online shopping by blending the efficiency of eCommerce with inspiration, entertainment, and social connection, elements that until now have been dominated by social platforms.
The core of this evolution is embodied in the expansion of its AI-powered discovery feed and the gradual launch of optional public customer profiles, featuring customizable and shareable boards initially available to selected customers with iOS devices across 22 markets.
From the moment a customer opens the app, the new feed transforms the experience, allowing them to swipe, scroll, and play personalized and interest-based content in real time. According to the company, this feed aims to unify Zalando’s most powerful experiences: from AI-based product recommendations and shoppable videos to live broadcasts, editorial inspiration campaigns, and high-quality content provided by brands and creators.
Robert Gentz, co-CEO and founder of Zalando, explains that the goal is to merge “the convenience of eCommerce, the entertainment of social networks, the connection of idea-sharing platforms, and the inspiration of editorial content into one single experience.” It is about making the platform not only easy to use but also “more engaging, relevant, and personal.”
The shift to emotional commerce reflects a fundamental change in consumer behavior, especially among younger generations (such as Generation Z). Today, convenience alone is no longer enough. According to company data, 72% of purchasing decisions are made while users are seeking inspiration, and much of that inspiration happens online, through visual and narrative formats such as trending hashtags on social media.
For Zalando, emotional commerce is focused on three key pillars, that go beyond the transaction: inspiration, trust, and connection.
This is where the new customer profile and the option to share boards come into play, offering curated product selections and content according to themes or trends, such as “New Boho.” In this way, users can select products, looks, and inspiration according to their personal style, from training plans to morning beauty routines.
“This is a first step toward a greater sense of community at Zalando, where customers can explore and share their motivations in one place. Boards reflect how people shop: not by categories, but by moods, aesthetics, and lifestyles. 76% of Zalando’s customers are already shopping across multiple categories, and these customers spend more and return more often.”
Through the new feed, Zalando will prioritize editorial content, using images, videos, and AI-powered digital twins of models. The company aims to make products more appealing and, most importantly, to respond to fashion trends in an ultrafast manner (in less than 24 hours), keeping content fresh and culturally relevant.
“We are taking innovation even further with digital twins: high-fidelity replicas of real models. They reflect a model’s appearance and movement, allowing us to create high-quality campaign images efficiently while maintaining accuracy and authenticity. By combining digital twins with product photoshoots, we create seamless experiences that guide customers from inspiration to confident purchasing decisions,” representatives from Zalando explain.
However, building community and content is not the only focus. Zalando seeks to reinforce trust in the shopping experience, especially by ensuring the customer selects the correct size. This is addressed through the redesign of its Size Profile. This tool unifies body measurements and the virtual fitting room in a single flow, simplifying selection and, according to Zalando’s data, reducing the return rate by up to 10%. Additionally, features such as the augmented reality (AR) shoe fitting tool allow customers to visualize how items will look on their own feet, providing visual certainty before making a purchase.
“This year, we will implement these immersive experiences for 10,000 footwear items, with plans to grow to 35,000 in 2026 and to 70,000 by 2027. As we expand, augmented reality will enhance how customers explore footwear online, making the experience more visual, engaging, and secure,” they explain.
The launch of customer profiles that allow sharing of style boards marks a social milestone for the platform. For the first time, Zalando users will be able to view and share with other customers, interacting through their style and fashion suggestions.
Anne Pascual, Senior Vice President of Product Design at Zalando, notes that this “mirrors an experience that occurs offline every day: people seeking advice and sharing wardrobe recommendations.” By allowing customers to turn their personal inspiration into a shared experience, Zalando fosters a community connected by common interests and aesthetics.
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