Zalando launches AI shopping agent — Channel NewsAsia

German online retailer Zalando has announced the launch of its first AI shopping agent and the Zalando Extended platform. It is intended to enable purchases through the company’s app of products from other online stores using AI agents. As Channel NewsAsia reports, the pilot project will be carried out in cooperation with home goods retailer Westwing.

A platform for shopping with partners

The launch comes amid the development of so-called agentic commerce. In this model, autonomous artificial intelligence systems can complete the entire product purchasing cycle — from comparing prices across different sellers to payment — on behalf of the buyer.

Retailers are increasingly introducing artificial intelligence tools as shoppers use them more often to compare prices, check product availability and receive recommendations. Zalando sells clothing, footwear and accessories from thousands of brands, including Nike, Hugo Boss and Coach.

More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.

Third-quarter results

The company said its third-quarter revenue rose by 5.1% year-on-year to €3.17 billion. This was above the €3.15 billion expected by analysts surveyed by LSEG. Gross merchandise volume, which reflects the value of all goods sold, increased by 7.5% to €4.54 billion.

At the same time, Zalando’s gross margin was 38.7%, which was below market expectations. Analysts at Jefferies and JPMorgan partly attributed the result to the company’s investments. Zalando shares fell 5% at the start of trading.

Zalando Chief Financial Officer Anna Dimitrova said the company’s transition to a platform model is accelerating: the partner business and advertising segment are growing at double-digit rates, while revenue in the B2B segment increased by nearly 28%.