Extensive SWOT Analysis of Zalando – An European E-commerce Company

Previously we saw the SWOT Analysis of the Italian fashion brand Giordano, this time we will look at the SWOT analysis of Zalando

Zalando is a European e-commerce company. Which sells its clothes and other fashion and accessories products online to over 140 countries and other than this, they also operate in the retail market.

Zalando is one of the successful market leaders in the European clothing and fashion industry and as well in the retail industry.

Zalando is a very big company because of its marketing tips and tricks and as the world is shifting online the marketing techniques are changing which is digital marketing. As the world goes online, marketing is changing and if you are interested in learning about the latest – check out our  Free MasterClass on Digital Marketing 101 by the CEO and Founder of IIDE, Karan Shah.

Before we begin with the SWOT analysis of Zalando, here’s a deep dive into the company’s history, founding, products, financial status, competitors.

Aditya Shastri - Trainer at IIDE

Aditya Shastri

Lead Trainer & Head of Learning & Development at IIDE

Updated on: Oct 28, 2022

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About Zalando

SWOT Analysis of Zalando - Zalando Headquarter

(Zalando Headquarter, Source: Glassdoor)

Zalando was established in 2008. The people who founded Zalando were Robert Getzo and David Shinder and they first started their services in the footwear industry. From 2013 company started making changes in its online sites and platforms by looking at the reforms performed in China. 

Zalando always believes in providing the best services to the customers and providing them with a variety of products. Zalando is dealing with more than 4500 international brands and has also extended its operation in more than 23 countries. In Europe, the company operates its operation in different countries like the Netherlands, Spain Austria  France Germany, etc.

Quick Stats on Zalando
FounderRobert Gentz, David Schneider
Year Founded2008
OriginEurope
No. of Employees16,000 (2021)
Company TypeSocietas Europaea
Market Cap€ 20.097 Billion (2020)
Annual Revenue€ 7.982 Billion (2020)
Net Income/ Profit€ 234.4 Million (2020)


Products of Zalando

SWOT Analysis of Zalando - Zalando’s Packaging Box Image

 (Zalando’s Packaging Box Image, Source: RetailDeaill EU)

  • Shoe
  • Clothing
  • Accessories


Competitors of Zalando

  • Lamoda
  • Zolara
  • Myntra
  • Boohoo
  • ASOS


Now that we understand the company’s core business, let’s delve into the SWOT analysis of Zalando.


SWOT Analysis of Zalando

SWOT analysis of Zalando will determine the company’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats and hence it is of immense importance for any company to work. It is a tried and true management paradigm that allows companies to compare their business and performance to competitors and the industry as a whole.

SWOT Analysis of Zalando - SWOT Infographics of Zalando

Let’s first start by analyzing the strength of Zalando from the SWOT analysis of Zalando.

Strengths of Zalando

  • Brand Integration: Zalando integrates with a big brand of a particular country so that it helps the consumer to buy their favourite products from their country’s leading business and also from the world-renowned brands at affordable prices.
  • Increase in Revenue: If we analyze the past financial and current financial statements of the company we will see that there is a consistency in revenue growth and it is increasing every year. Despite the competitiveness this industry has.
  • Ease of Payment: Zalando also provides its customers with an online mode of payment and also the offline mode of payment so that they can have the ease of purchasing online. 
  • Personal Warehousing: Zalando do has its warehouse in the countries where they deliver the goods so it creates a huge advantage to Zalando by providing the fastest delivery to the customers. 
  • In House Software R&D Team: Zalando has its source research and developers team which saves a lot of costs for the company.


Weaknesses of Zalando

  • No Global Presence: Zoolander is an old company so if we see that the company has been running since 2008 so it’s been 13 years but still the company has not made its presence globally.
  • Internal Expenses: Zalando tries different products and plans but whenever the results are not up to the mark they drop the plan and then start working on the new project. This increase the work of R&D and the expenses of the company. 
  • Relying on Brand Partners: Zalando relies more on its brand partners which can lead to partners increasing their product cost or taking advantage in some other way.


Opportunities for Zalando

  • Increasing Branded Products: If Zalando focuses on bringing more branded products then their sales will increase because customers are brand-oriented and their focus is more on branded products rather than local products.
  • Change Business Model: Zalando should focus on its business models like their sales, marketing strategy and their overall general management so that they can focus on their weak points and improve them.
  • Use Advanced Technology: Zalando should focus on improving technology so that customers can get a good experience.


Threats to Zalando

  • Increase in Customer Retention Cost: Zalando’s business industry is very competitive because of which the customers acquiring cost is very high.
  • Management of Business Model: The fashion industry is very dynamic and changing with every new trend or product. Every new product and trend require some different type of sales and marketing techniques. Zalando should change its business model frequently and if they not there will be a huge business failure.


This ends our SWOT analysis of Zalando. Let us conclude our learning below.

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To Conclude

Zalando current focus is on recovering from the COVID-19 situation and strengthening its web presence. Zalando financials are improving, and the company’s management is hopeful about increasing online sales. For the time being, we can say Zalando has everything under control. But what about outside influences?

Zalando uses multiple channels of digital marketing such as SEO, Emailing and Content Marketing, and uses it to promote and educate its clients about newer products.

Getting the right knowledge about digital marketing may get you a chance of working with top companies including Zalando. So, being well acquainted with the field is a must for all marketing enthusiasts. If you want to learn more and upskill yourself, check out IIDE’s 3 Month Advanced Online Digital Marketing Course to know more.

We hope this blog on the SWOT analysis of Zalando has given you a good insight into the company’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.

If you enjoy in-depth company research just like the SWOT analysis of Zalando, check out our IIDE Knowledge portal for more fascinating case studies.

Thank you for taking the time to read this, and do share your thoughts on this case study of the SWOT analysis of Zalando in the comments section below.

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Author's Note:

My name is Aditya Shastri and I have written this case study with the help of my students from IIDE's online digital marketing courses in India.

Practical assignments, case studies & simulations helped the students from this course present this analysis.

Building on this practical approach, we are now introducing a new dimension for our online digital marketing course learners - the Campus Immersion Experience.

If you found this case study helpful, please feel free to leave a comment below.

Aditya Shastri - Trainer at IIDE

Aditya Shastri

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Lead Trainer & Head of Learning & Development at IIDE

Aditya Shastri leads the Business Development segment at IIDE and is a seasoned Content Marketing expert. With over a decade of experience, Aditya has trained more than 20,000 students and professionals in digital marketing, collaborating with prestigious institutions and corporations such as Jet Airways, Godrej Professionals, Pfizer, Mahindra Group, Publicis Worldwide, and many others. His ability to simplify complex marketing concepts, combined with his engaging teaching style, has earned him widespread admiration from students and professionals alike.