Podcast Summary: Zalando Co-CEO – Building Europe’s Fashion Giant, AI in Retail, and the European Dream

Podcast: In Good Company with Nicolai Tangen
Host: Nicolai Tangen (CEO, Norges Bank Investment Management)
Guest: Robert Gentz (Co-Founder & Co-CEO, Zalando)
Date: March 4, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode features a candid conversation with Robert Gentz, co-founder and co-CEO of Zalando, Europe’s leading online fashion platform. Nicolai Tangen delves into Robert’s entrepreneurial journey, Zalando’s rapid growth story, the pivotal role of technology (especially AI) in retail, and Robert’s reflections on leadership, sustainability, and the future of European entrepreneurship.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Origins & Early Days of Zalando

• Starting Out During the Financial Crisis

  • Zalando was founded in 2008, right at the onset of the financial crisis.
  • Robert and his co-founder, David, previously tried to build a social media company in Latin America, which didn’t work out (01:18).
  • Their first venture into ecommerce was selling flip-flops online (“Flip Flops Today”), packing and shipping them by hand (02:20).
  • Memorable Moment: Debating for half a day whether to buy a €60 industry book highlights a culture of frugality still present at Zalando (04:11).

• Identifying Opportunity

  • Despite skepticism about selling shoes online, search data revealed unmet demand for specific shoe models and sizes.
    • “For half a day, we debated if we should buy this book about German shoe retail data. That frugality – every euro counts – still shapes us to this day.” – Robert Gentz (04:16)

2. Blitzscaling and Strategic Expansion

• Hypergrowth:

  • Revenues jumped from €5-6 million to €1.2 billion in just four years; employee numbers grew from 50 to over 2,500 (05:01–05:17).
  • “We literally went from 50 people in 2009 to more than two and a half thousand by end of 2011.” – Robert Gentz (05:17)

• The Flywheel Approach

  • Concept: Start with high-intent product searches, expand inventory gradually, convert more traffic, then grow into fashion, new geographies, and categories (06:44).
  • “The more you build up selection, the more you can convert the traffic.” – Robert Gentz (07:17–07:34)

• European Focus

  • Zalando stuck to Europe due to its complexity but built a powerful logistical and technological infrastructure for brands (09:19).

3. Zalando’s Business Model Evolution

• B2B Expansion

  • Beyond direct-to-consumer (B2C), Zalando now provides logistics and ecommerce infrastructure to brands (10:12).
  • “We enable brands through our B2B services to use our entire logistical network as well for their own ecommerce.” – Robert Gentz (09:51)
  • Example: All NEXT fulfillment in Europe now goes through Zalando’s network (11:22).

• Data-Driven Retail

  • Massive customer and sales data power personalization (better size advice, trend anticipation, logistics optimization) (11:47–13:48).
  • “With 60 million people shopping every year, we have great data – we can advise on size and fit, and even optimize logistics across Europe.” – Robert Gentz (11:47–12:42)

4. Artificial Intelligence in Fashion Retail

• Discovery Feed:
  • AI surfaces inspiring content for customers, moving beyond transactions to engagement and entertainment (13:52–14:50).
• Natural Language Interaction:
  • Customers can ask style/occasion questions, and Zalando’s models respond in human language (14:50–15:10).
  • “You can ask, ‘What should I wear in Norway?’ and it will help.” – Robert Gentz (14:50)
• Technology-Assisted Sizing
  • Using photos to determine exact size and reduce returns. Over 1 million customers have used this (15:32).
  • “For some product segments, we may soon be able to predict the right size with near 100% confidence.” – Robert Gentz (16:00)

5. Returns and Customer Experience

• Addressing Returns

  • Zalando uses data and 3D visualizations to reduce returns and help set accurate expectations (16:14–17:29).
  • “Nobody likes returns... we invest a lot in helping customers make better choices using new technology.” – Robert Gentz (16:20)

• Customer Obsession

  • Central focus on delighting and not disappointing customers, through selection, service, and innovation (17:35).

6. Competition and Market Landscape

• Response to Ultra-Low-Cost Competitors
  • Competes on quality, reliability, and brand partnerships rather than price alone (18:21–19:57).
  • Zalando shields brands from copycat “fast fashion” models of some competitors.

7. Trends, Personalization, and European Diversity

• City-Specific Trends
  • Zalando mines data to surface what’s trending by city; tastes differ between places like Berlin, Paris, and Oslo (20:26–21:30).

8. Sustainability and Climate Impact

• E-commerce vs. Brick-and-Mortar
  • Robert argues ecommerce can have a lower environmental impact due to efficient logistics (22:05).
• Commitment to Climate Neutrality
  • Targeting climate neutrality in own operations by 2040, across the broader value chain by 2050.
  • “Like-for-like, ecommerce should have a much less impact than bricks and mortar.” – Robert Gentz (22:45)
• Incentivizing Sustainable Choices
  • Sustainable filters lower return rates and are beneficial for customers, brands, Zalando, and the environment (23:30).

9. Leadership Reflections and Corporate Culture

• Evolution of Leadership

  • Shifted from hands-on founder to enabling leader, trusting teams and focusing on ambiguity, strategy, and culture (24:47–26:10).
  • “I’m quite an enabling leader... I spend time being curious, step in only where I’m uniquely needed.” – Robert Gentz (24:47)

• Codifying Values

  • Growth spurred creation of 14 leadership principles (28:02). Examples: “Play as a team”, “Dare to fail”, risk-taking, and positivity.
  • “If nobody is willing to take a risk, nothing will really happen.” – Robert Gentz (29:33)

• Introversion and Leadership

  • Robert identifies as somewhat introverted, emphasizing role modeling and team mentality rather than always being center stage (26:27).
  • “I don’t have to take the stage all the time. I’m happy to provide it to others who deserve it.” – Robert Gentz (26:47)

10. Challenges and Opportunities in Europe

• Going Public Early

  • Listing on the stock exchange in 2014 was partly driven by investor structure and transparency requirements (30:28).

• The European Dream

  • Robert’s vision: Europe should foster a coherent “north star” for innovation and inclusivity, seizing potential as the US’s model grows less open (31:42).
  • “Europe has a big chance to create a European idea... we want to win this race for relevance between China and the US.” – Robert Gentz (32:50)

• Improving Europe’s Startup Environment

  • Calls for a genuine single market, less fragmentation, and preferential regulation for homegrown companies (35:36).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Frugality and Startup Spirit:
  “We still tell these stories of frugality – every euro counts. That produced a lot of character that we still benefit from today.” – Robert Gentz (04:11)

• On Platform Strategy:
  “The more you build up selection, the more you can convert the traffic.” – Robert Gentz (07:17)

• On the Promise to Brands:
  “Brands don’t compete on Zalando with copycats or cheap knock-offs; they build their own stories here.” – Robert Gentz (18:52)

• On AI-Powered Future:
  “For certain parts of the assortment, we could get to almost perfect size prediction, where we pick the size for you.” – Robert Gentz (16:00)

• On Corporate Culture:
  “If nobody is willing to take a risk, nothing really happens... Otherwise you’re like a poker table without blinds.” – Robert Gentz (29:33)

• On European Values:
  “Europe really has a big chance... to create a European idea. We are in a race for relevance, and we want to win.” – Robert Gentz (32:50)

Useful Timestamps

• Startup Story & Early Frugality: 01:18–04:53
• Transition & Scaling Beyond Shoes: 05:01–06:14
• Flywheel Model & Growth Logic: 06:44–08:12
• B2B Shift and Logistics: 09:45–11:37
• Data & AI-Driven Experience: 11:47–15:32
• Returns and Predicting Fit: 16:14–17:29
• Competing with Temu and Shein: 18:21–19:57
• Trends by City and Personal Fashion Choices: 20:23–21:54
• Sustainability & Environmental Claims: 22:05–24:37
• Leadership, Culture, and Introversion: 24:47–29:33
• Going Public and European Startup Ecosystem: 30:20–35:36
• European Dream and Single Capital Market: 31:42–36:41
• Personal Reflections, Working Habits, and Advice for Young People: 36:41–41:21

Final Reflections & Advice

• On Founders’ Traits: Curiosity and humility are the two most crucial qualities for founders and investors. “You can learn from everyone – from a new hire to a customer.” (37:20)
• Work & Energy: Robert doesn't distinguish much between work and life as a founder; his passion for the company is a continual energy source (38:28).
• Advice to Young People:
  “Stay in Europe, make it work in Europe. It’s on us to make this value creation happen here.” – Robert Gentz (40:40–41:21)

Tone & Style

The conversation is open, friendly, and occasionally humorous. Robert offers introspective and pragmatic responses, emphasizing vision, curiosity, and European values while staying grounded in operational realities.

For anyone interested in entrepreneurship, ecommerce, scaling tech businesses, or Europe's role in the global economy, this episode offers a comprehensive, honest, and inspiring look at building a continent-spanning success story.