Zalando has released its second-quarter results, extending the strong performance indicators it reported in the previous period.
The popular German marketplace increased its GMV (gross merchandise volume) by 20.7% year over year to €4.915 billion. Meanwhile, revenue rose to €3.424 billion (+20.8%). Of that total, 90.4% came from its B2C channel, which grew 20.3%, while Zalando’s B2B channel climbed 27.6% year over year to reach €334.7 million.
In this area, B2B, the company highlights that “it is opening up its logistics infrastructure, software, and service capabilities to become a key enabler of eCommerce transactions for brands and retailers through its ZEOS operating system, regardless of whether those transactions take place on or off its platform.” It is worth remembering that ZEOS Fulfillment already operates in a dozen markets, including Spain, and allows sellers to connect with 10 different sales channels, including their own online stores and marketplaces, thereby covering 85% of Europe’s leading marketplaces.
That said, not all the figures in these quarterly results are equally positive. Net profit (€73.8 million) fell 23.6% compared with the same period last year, which the company mainly attributes to the full consolidation of About You’s business, acquired in mid-2025.
What is not up for debate is the strength of its business indicators: the number of active customers over the past twelve months grew 18.14% to 62.5 million, while the number of orders recorded during the quarter reached 77.5 million (+19%). Meanwhile, Zalando’s average basket value also increased to €63.4 (+2.9%).
Within its earnings release, one striking point is the importance Zalando places on Scayle Studios, an AI-powered fashion and lifestyle content studio that, according to the company, reduces the production time for this type of content “from weeks to minutes.” Zalando presents it as an example of how AI can be applied to generate scalable revenue in both B2C and B2B.
Launched during the last quarter, the company says it significantly streamlines the image creation process, from samples to production-ready visuals, cutting time to market by more than 95% and reducing content creation costs by roughly 90%.
If we visit its website, we can get a more detailed look at how it works.
Scayle makes it possible to cover the entire workflow of a fashion photo shoot: defining the collection, uploading products, optimizing images, selecting models, creating outfits, setting the scene, producing the assets, and extending production into video formats and social media. The final output includes still images for eCommerce, campaign variants, native social media formats, and short videos. All of this is generated in 4K from the upload of a single product. As for video, it is produced as part of the standard workflow, not as a separate project with its own independent budget.
“Instead of booking studio time, models, and equipment, you simply upload the product image (front and back view) and configure the shoot digitally. Scayle Studios handles model selection, styling, set design, and asset generation, delivering production-ready images in minutes, not weeks,” they explain.
In fact, the company goes so far as to say that today, “the difference between AI-generated content and traditionally filmed content is no longer perceptible to shoppers in their everyday use.”
Example of Scayle Studios in use. Source: Scayle Studios
As mentioned, the savings generated by Scayle are not limited to time.
On its website, the company explains that producing audiovisual content with Scayle typically results in cost reductions of around 90%. “Traditional in-studio photo shoots cost approximately €80 per product. Scayle brings that cost down to about €4 to €5 per product with standard self-service plans. At enterprise scale, costs are around €10 per SKU, not because the base price is higher, but because brands such as About You generate much more content per product: 7 to 8 images and 2 videos instead of the traditional 3 or 4 photos,” they clarify.
This service uses a credit-based pricing model, which customers spend as they generate content: one credit per generated image. To encourage adoption, new accounts receive 50 free credits upon registration to test the platform before making a purchase.
Until now, launching a new collection meant coordinating studios, models, photographers, stylists, makeup, locations, editing, and format adaptation for websites, campaigns, and social media. In sectors such as fashion, where a single season can include thousands of SKUs, content production becomes one of the main operational bottlenecks.
Scayle Studios’ proposal is precisely to replace much of that process with AI-generated production. Instead of organizing a photo shoot, brands only need to upload product images to generate photographs, videos, and creatives tailored to different channels. Brands can now publish products sooner, test campaigns faster, and adapt content to different markets without having to repeat the entire production process.
In any case, brands will need to assess to what extent they want to fully replace traditional shoots, especially in image-driven campaigns where creative differentiation remains important. And of course, it is clear that the use of AI-generated models raises questions related to content authenticity and garment representation, which will likely continue to fuel debate across the industry.
As for its full-year 2026 outlook, Zalando expects GMV and revenue growth at the lower end of its previous 12% to 17% range, “in line with market expectations,” the company noted. However, its adjusted EBIT forecast for the full year has been narrowed to between €680 million and €720 million, compared with the previously expected range of €660 million to €740 million.
“The strength of our profitability reflects the quality and diversification of our revenue streams, including the shift toward our higher-margin partner business and retail media business, B2B expansion, and disciplined cost management supported by AI,” said Anna Dimitrova, Zalando’s chief financial officer.
Image: ChatGPT and Scayle Studios
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