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Zalando Group has reported that revenues increased 23.8% to €3bn (£2.5bn) in the first quarter of 2026, which the German fashion retailer attributed to its acquisition of About You and expanded AI capabilities.
The Berlin-based group also experienced a 21.7% rise in gross merchandise volume to €4.3bn (£3.7bn). Adjusted EBITDA likewise increased, from €47m (£40.5m) in 2025 to €65m (£56m) in the first quarter of 2026.
The integration of About You contributed €10m (£8.6m) in synergies during the period, which improved Zalando’s adjusted EBIT margin to 2.2%, up from 1.9% in the previous year.
Active customer numbers reached a record 62.3 million across the group’s three apps, with average spend per customer also recording a rise of 2.9% to €305 (£263) as basket sizes increased.
The business-to-business division reported a 23.6% increase in sales to €297m (£256m). Adjusted EBIT for the segment climbed to €26m (£22.4m), representing a margin of 8.6%.
In logistics, the company deployed AI-driven robots in collaboration with Nomagic. The systems now automate two million picks every month across the European fulfilment network.
Generative AI image processing is also being used to onboard 6,000 articles daily. According to Zalando, this has reduced the time taken for products to go online to less than three days.
The company confirmed its full-year guidance for 2026, saying it expects revenues to grow 12% to 17%, and adjusted EBIT between €660m (£570m) and €740m (£638m).
Robert Gentz, chief executive of Zalando, said: “Our strong first quarter demonstrates the strength of our strategy. We are very satisfied with the progress we’re making in strategically scaling AI innovations and integrating About You.”
Anna Dimitrova, chief financial officer of Zalando, added: “Synergies are ahead of plan, our underlying business is strengthening every day, and our full-year guidance stands.”
