Zalando ponders opening stores in major cities: Manager Magazin

[April 29, 2017]    BERLIN (Reuters) - Online fashion retailer Zalando <ZALG.DE> is pondering opening stores in major cities such as London, Paris or Berlin, the company's co-chief executive told Germany's Manager Magazin.

A Zalando label lies on an item of clothing in a showroom of the fashion retailer Zalando in Berlin October 14, 2014. REUTERS/Hannibal Hanschke/File Photo

"We have proper fans in the metropolises who spend much time with us and order a lot," co-Chief Executive Rubin Ritter said in an interview published on Saturday.

"It could be interesting for them to also experience the brand offline," he said.

Founded in Berlin in 2008, Zalando has grown rapidly to become one of the German capital's biggest employers, delivering 1,500 brands in 15 countries from huge out-of-town warehouses.

Zalando's purchase in 2015 of the Berlin-based fashion trade fair "Bread & Butter" marked a first step to offer services that go beyond pure e-commerce, said Ritter, also citing Zalando's acquisition last month of streetwear retailer Kickz.

Separately, Zalando is mulling introducing 3D printing for smaller and medium fashion labels, said Ritter, noting it would be economically beneficial to use the technology to reprint top-selling sneakers in Berlin.

(Reporting by Andreas Cremer; Editing by Toby Chopra)

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