ABOUT YOU

Zalando profitable growth, B2B expansion powered by AI

Zalando reported continued growth and improved profitability in Q2 2026 while accelerating its B2B expansion through AI and platform services. Gross merchandise volume (GMV) rose 20.7% to €4.9 billion and revenue increased to €3.4 billion. Adjusted EBIT grew 10% to €205 million, although net profit fell. Integration of ABOUT YOU is contributing double-digit million euro synergies. Zalando cited 62.5 million active customers and strong category performance in sport and beauty. The company’s B2B business grew rapidly — revenue from corporate clients rose 27.6% to €335 million — driven by its logistics platform ZEOS and software offerings; SCAYLE STUDIOS was highlighted for shortening fashion content production times by more than 95%. Full-year adjusted EBIT guidance is €680–720 million.

Zalando misses estimates; shares plunge 16%

Zalando reported second-quarter results that fell short of market expectations despite gains from the acquisition of About You and strong B2B activity. Q2 revenue rose about 20% to €3.4 billion and gross merchandise volume (GMV) increased to €4.9 billion, but adjusted EBIT of €205 million and net income of €73.8 million were below analysts' forecasts. Management kept its full-year outlook and concretized 2026 guidance, now targeting revenue and GMV growth in the lower half of a 12–17% range and adjusted EBIT of €680–720 million. The stock dropped roughly 16% to €24.33 after the release. The company said About You integration delivered >€10 million in synergies and raised active customers to 62.5 million; BaFin flagged a disclosure omission related to About You shareholdings.

AI Labels Hurt E‑commerce Product Perception, Study Finds

An experimental study by Hochschule Hannover finds that labeling product photos as "AI-generated" reduces product attitudes and purchase intent, even when images are real. The experiment of 163 participants showed no intrinsic disadvantage for AI-generated visuals themselves and in some cases a slight advantage in purchase intent, but the presence of a generic "AI-generated" label lowered both product evaluation and conversion likelihood regardless of actual image origin. The findings arrive amid new transparency obligations under Article 50 of the EU AI Act (effective 2026-08-02) and growing industry use of generative AI — exemplified by About You’s July 2026 launch of Scayle Studios. The article recommends hybrid photo strategies, clearer context-specific labels, and systematic A/B testing of label variants to balance efficiency gains and customer trust.