On the way to becoming a social network: following the launch of Cultural Ties a year ago, Zalando is expanding its AI-powered Discovery Feed to sixteen additional markets and is now live in a total of 22 markets. The new feed aims to transform the shopping experience from the very first moment users open the app, making it easy and intuitive to discover personalised content.

Zalando is simultaneously gradually introducing the option of a public customer profile across all markets. This will give users a central hub to save content, follow brands, curated boards, and creators, and express their own style through personal boards that they can share on Zalando.

All new features are initially only available to selected customers with iOS devices, but are expected to be rolled out quickly to other operating systems and wider audiences.

“The launches mark a pivotal moment in our journey to evolve from a primarily transactional platform into a dynamic, inspiring ecosystem for fashion and lifestyle,” said Robert Gentz, co-founder and co-CEO of Zalando.

“We combine the convenience of e-commerce with the entertainment value of social media, the inspiration of high-quality editorial content, and the community features of idea-sharing platforms in a single experience.”

The aim is to make the shopping experience more exciting, relevant and personal – and to ensure that Zalando remains the central destination for fashion.

Launched in six markets in July, the Discovery Feed brings together the key features for a seamless shopping experience. These include curated boards, personalised product recommendations, videos and live streams with direct purchase options, as well as campaigns and high-quality content from brands, creators, and Zalando itself.

The new features are intended to underscore how important it is for Zalando to respond to the changing needs of its customers. By presenting varied, relevant, and interactive content, Zalando creates fresh incentives for users to open the app. This strengthens customer relationships while putting the best offers from Zalando and its partners centre stage.

Another new feature is that personal boards can now be shared both within and beyond Zalando. This not only allows users to share inspiration for their personal style with others, but also fosters a community on Zalando that is connected by shared interests and style preferences.

“With the option to share boards, we are making customers visible to one another on Zalando for the first time. In doing so, we are digitising an everyday, analogue experience: people asking each other for advice and sharing their outfit recommendations,” said Anne Pascual, SVP Product Design at Zalando.

This is a milestone: “We are going beyond the traditional e-commerce model and are also responding to a profound shift in shopping behaviour: digital natives discover and shop differently today – driven by emotions, inspiration, and community,” Pascual concluded.