Zalando Extended: external shops and an AI agent in the Zalando app

Zalando is expanding its range with products from other online stores, starting with Westwing. Over time, an AI shopping agent will place orders on participating external websites without customers leaving the Zalando app.

The plan, Zalando Extended, was announced this week alongside the quarterly results. For Dutch and European retailers it's a clear signal: marketplaces and AI agents are changing how customers discover products and check out — not only in fashion, but also home and, eventually, an ever-broader product range.

What exactly is Zalando Extended?

Unlike Zalando's existing Partner Program, Extended sellers do not sell directly on Zalando. They sell through their own online stores. Zalando makes those products discoverable in its app — as it already does with Westwing — and currently redirects customers to the retailer to complete the purchase. From 2027, an AI agent is expected to handle the transaction in-app so customers no longer need to leave.

The ambition is considerable. Zalando says Extended starts with complex categories such as bulky home goods, and over time will open up an ever-growing range of products from shops across the internet — all inside the secure environment of the Zalando app.

Third-party sellers are becoming more important

Zalando has worked with external sellers for fifteen years. They now account for more than a third of Zalando Group's B2C gross merchandise volume (GMV): 33.6 percent, up from 30.7 percent a year earlier. Third-party GMV grew by 18 percent last quarter, while first-party retail grew by just 3 percent.

Those figures include sales from About You. Its marketplace now has more than 1,000 third-party sellers. The number of sellers on Zalando's own marketplace is unclear.

How does Zalando plan to monetize this?

Zalando aims to monetize Extended in two ways: commissions on purchases at external online stores, and retail media ads. CFO Anna Dimitrova discussed the commissions on the earnings call; rates, participation requirements, technical integration and the international rollout have not been disclosed yet.

Zalando currently operates in 28 countries, with Bulgaria the latest addition. Partner shops benefit, Zalando says, because the AI agent does the work: they reach Zalando's customers and gain new sales without complex technical integration or changes to their logistics, and they can advertise products through Zalando's retail media business.

Q3 figures: growth is in partners and B2B

In the third quarter, Zalando Group revenue rose 5.1 percent to 3.17 billion euros. Adjusted EBIT increased 10.6 percent to 107 million euros. A substantial part of that profit — 42 million euros — came from the B2B division. B2B revenue grew 27.9 percent to 354 million euros.

What does this mean for your online store?

For fashion and lifestyle retailers in the Netherlands and Europe, the shopper's starting point is shifting. Zalando wants to stay the place where fashion journeys begin, while gross margins are under pressure. Extended makes external shops' products discoverable to a large fashion audience — first via redirect, later via an AI agent that orders in-app.

• Reach: your products can become visible to Zalando customers without overhauling logistics, if Extended's promise holds.
• Competition for traffic: if more shoppers start in the Zalando app, visibility there matters more — and competition for that starting point intensifies.
• Retail media: advertising on Zalando may become another channel, alongside commissions whose rates are still unknown.
• Much is still open: rates, requirements and rollout aren't public. Watch announcements before redesigning processes or channels.

Four things you can do now

1. Keep your product feed, stock and delivery times clean. AI agents and marketplaces reward reliable data; bad data means missed orders or disappointed customers.
2. Make sure shipping is ready for multiple channels. Whether orders arrive via your own shop, a marketplace or eventually an AI agent: labels, tracking and returns need to stay smooth.
3. Follow Extended and similar AI shopping initiatives. Westwing is the starting point; bulky home first, then an ever-growing range.
4. Think through retail media and brand visibility. If commissions and ads both become part of Extended, know the ROI before you go big.

How Zineps helps

With Zineps you connect multiple carriers and channels to one shipping platform. Whether orders come through your own store, marketplaces or new discovery channels: you create labels, compare rates and keep tracking and returns clear. That keeps you flexible as platforms and AI agents change how people buy.

Frequently asked questions

What's the difference between Zalando Extended and the Partner Program?

In the Partner Program, sellers sell via Zalando. In Extended, shops sell via their own stores; Zalando makes products discoverable and currently redirects customers. From 2027 an AI agent is expected to complete the purchase in-app.

When will the AI agent place orders in the app?

Zalando expects that from 2027 an AI shopping agent will place orders on participating external websites without customers leaving the Zalando app.

How will Zalando make money from Extended?

Through commissions on external purchases and through retail media advertising. Rates, requirements and the rollout have not been disclosed yet.

What does Extended mean for my logistics?

According to Zalando, partner shops reach Zalando customers without complex technical integration or changes to their logistics, because the AI agent does the work. Exact requirements have not been published yet.

Ready for new sales channels?

Want to keep shipping flexible as marketplaces and AI agents change discovery and checkout? Get in touch and we'll look at what fits your store best.

Source: Ecommerce News Europe, November 5, 2026 (ecommercenews.eu).