Mirakl vs Zalando

Mirakl supports Orange France in the launch of its new marketplace

Mirakl announces its support for Orange France in launching a new marketplace, as detailed in a press release dated October 5, 2026.

Siia Cosmetics Expands Across Four Retail Marketplaces With Mirakl Connect

Siia Cosmetics expands across four retail marketplaces with Mirakl Connect, as reported by RetailBoss.

Payback Launches 'Payback Produkte' Marketplace, Expanding Platform Strategy

Payback, the German loyalty program, has launched 'Payback Produkte', a new marketplace within its app, currently in beta. It allows users to search, buy, and pay for products directly in the app while earning points. The marketplace offers several thousand articles across electronics, home, fashion, and sports. It operates on a model where selected partners and other merchants sell their goods, avoiding Payback holding inventory, with technology from Mirakl. This move strengthens the app as a central platform for shopping, saving, and loyalty. Payback has over 35 million active customers and 18 million active app users, with partner revenue exceeding 46 billion euros last year. The company plans to onboard more merchants and promote the service through its own channels, building on its existing 700+ partners.

• Payback launched 'Payback Produkte' marketplace in beta within its app.
• The marketplace offers thousands of products in electronics, home, fashion, and sports.
• Payback partners with Mirakl for marketplace technology; merchants sell without Payback holding inventory.

Zalando Announces New Festival for Fashion, Music, Culture

Zalando is expanding its brand and entertainment business with its own festival called "Access All Areas" (AAA), scheduled for April 24-25, 2027, at Station Berlin and Tempodrom. The company expects up to 40,000 visitors and will combine live music, fashion, beauty, sport, and brand activations. British singer-songwriter RAYE is announced as the first headliner. Initially, 14 brands are participating, including adidas, Calvin Klein, Nike, Asics, Dr. Martens, lululemon, New Balance, On, Puma, Tommy Hilfiger, and Vans, as well as beauty brands Beauty of Joseon, Kérastase, and MAC. The festival will be closely tied to Zalando Plus, with members in participating markets able to receive free tickets. The exclusive presale is planned for January 2027. Zalando Plus has over 20 million members across 17 European markets. The festival is part of Zalando's strategy to position itself as an inspiration and entertainment platform, strengthening customer loyalty and offering brand partners new physical and digital touchpoints.

• Zalando announces new festival 'Access All Areas' (AAA) on April 24-25, 2027 in Berlin.
• Up to 40,000 visitors expected at Station Berlin and Tempodrom.
• RAYE announced as first headliner.

Austria's New Parcel Tax Criticized as Costs Pass to Consumers

Austria's new parcel tax, effective October 1, 2026, charges large online retailers €2 net per parcel (€2.40 incl. VAT). Amazon passes the fee directly to customers as a separate line item, while Zalando and Otto refund it on full returns. The tax targets companies with over €100 million annual parcel revenue in Austria, affecting 16 firms including Amazon, Temu, Shein, and Zalando. Critics, including the Austrian trade association and retailers, argue the tax burdens consumers and small businesses, potentially costing 2,800 jobs. Legal challenges are planned, with possible escalation to the Constitutional Court and CJEU. Proponents say the tax levels the playing field with brick-and-mortar stores and funds a VAT reduction on staple foods.

• Austria's parcel tax of €2 net (€2.40 incl. VAT) per parcel took effect October 1, 2026.
• Amazon passes the €2.40 tax directly to customers as a separate line item per order.
• The tax applies to 16 companies, including Amazon, Temu, Shein, Zalando, and Otto, with over €100M annual parcel revenue in Austria.

Zalando and ERGO Transform Video Production with Google AI

At the YouTube Festival 2026, Lounge by Zalando and ERGO showcased how they leverage Google AI to revolutionize video production. Lounge by Zalando halved its production time for the Black Friday 2025 campaign using Veo 3 and Imagen 3, reducing it from three months to 1.5 months. ERGO is piloting an 'Agentic Gen AI Marketing Engine' with Deloitte and Google, which automates the creation of localized YouTube video ads from simple inputs. The engine generates up to 50 assets per month, a 20-fold increase, and cuts production time from weeks to days. Both companies emphasize maintaining brand identity and human oversight. YouTube's higher ROI compared to linear TV (90%) and paid social (70%) drives budget shifts, according to studies by Ekimetrics and Nielsen.

• Lounge by Zalando reduced campaign production time from 3 months to 1.5 months using Google AI (Veo 3, Imagen 3).
• ERGO is piloting an 'Agentic Gen AI Marketing Engine' with Deloitte and Google to automate YouTube video creation.
• The ERGO engine can produce up to 50 video assets per month, a 20-fold increase from current levels.