Robert Gentz

Co-founder of Zalando

Claims

As speaker

Mentioned in

Key positions and views

Zalando's future growth lies in becoming a B2B ecosystem, providing its logistics and software as a service to other brands, rather than remaining a pure direct-to-consumer retailer.

Europe has a critical opportunity to establish its own 'European Dream' for entrepreneurs, filling a void left by a perceived decline in the 'American Dream' and fostering global competitiveness.

Zalando must compete on quality, brand experience, and reliability, deliberately differentiating itself from the price-only strategy of Chinese fast-fashion platforms like Temu and Shein.

Internal European fragmentation, specifically its 35 separate stock markets and certain regulations, is a significant handicap to the continent's ability to produce globally dominant companies.

Advanced technology, such as AI-driven size prediction and 3D rendering, is the most effective tool to solve the fundamental e-commerce challenges of fit and returns.

Podcast consensus on Gentz

Points of consensus

▶Robert Gentz consistently emphasizes that Zalando's strategy is evolving from a direct-to-consumer retailer into a B2B ecosystem, leveraging its established logistics and software infrastructure to serve other brands.Apr 2026

▶He views technological innovation, particularly in AI for size prediction, natural language search, and 3D rendering, as fundamental to improving the customer experience and solving core e-commerce problems like high return rates.

▶Gentz highlights Zalando's massive scale as a key asset, noting its achievement of over 60 million active customers (over 15% of Europe's population) and its history of exponential revenue and workforce growth.Apr 2026

▶He repeatedly frames competition in geopolitical terms, viewing the global environment as a 'race for relevancy' between Europe, the US, and China, and advocates for policies that strengthen Europe's position.Apr 2026

Points of debate

▶Gentz identifies a key market tension between Zalando's quality, brand, and reliability-focused value proposition and the purely price-driven model of Chinese competitors like Temu and Shein.Apr 2026

▶He articulates a conflict within European economic policy, arguing that regulations and market fragmentation (e.g., 35 stock markets) can hinder homegrown European companies while sometimes making it easier for foreign entities to operate.Apr 2026

▶He presents a contrast between the perceived decline of the 'American Dream' and the opportunity for Europe to establish its own 'European Dream' for entrepreneurs, suggesting a shift in global entrepreneurial dynamism.Apr 2026

▶Gentz notes a divergence in consumer behavior across Europe, observing increased price consciousness in markets like Germany while seeing strong performance in Eastern Europe.Apr 2026

Key themes

▶From E-tailer to EcosystemApr 2026

Robert Gentz describes a fundamental strategic shift for Zalando, moving beyond its direct-to-consumer roots to become a B2B service provider. By opening its sophisticated logistics and software infrastructure to the 7,000 brands on its platform, Zalando aims to become the operational backbone for European e-commerce, as evidenced by its fulfillment partnership with NEXT.

This pivot to a B2B ecosystem model positions Zalando to capture value from the broader e-commerce market, not just its own sales, creating a more defensible and scalable business that competes more directly with platforms like Amazon Web Services and Shopify on an industry-specific level.

▶The Tech-Driven Customer Experience

Gentz emphasizes technology as the core solution to fashion e-commerce's biggest challenges. He details initiatives like an AI assistant for style advice, body-scanning for size recommendations, and 3D rendering from 2D images, all aimed at reducing returns and increasing purchase confidence.

Gentz's focus on deep tech investments indicates a belief that the next frontier of e-commerce competition will be won by superior data science and personalization, moving the basis of competition from logistics to predictive accuracy and customer intimacy.

▶European Champion in a Global RaceApr 2026

Gentz frames Zalando's mission within a broader geopolitical context, viewing the company as a key player in a 'race for relevancy' between Europe, the US, and China. He advocates for a 'European Dream' and criticizes internal European fragmentation, such as disparate stock markets and regulations, as a handicap to creating globally competitive companies.

Investors should note that Gentz's strategic thinking is influenced by a strong sense of European economic patriotism; he sees corporate success as intertwined with the continent's ability to compete as a cohesive bloc on the world stage.

▶Strategic Differentiation and Market PositioningApr 2026

Gentz clearly distinguishes Zalando from new, price-focused competitors like Shein and Temu. He asserts that Zalando's value proposition is built on quality, brand experience, and reliability, consciously avoiding a race-to-the-bottom on price. This is reinforced by data showing that products labeled 'more sustainable' have lower return rates, aligning brand values with business metrics.

This positioning suggests Zalando is targeting a more value-conscious, rather than price-conscious, consumer segment, a strategy that may offer more pricing power and brand loyalty but could be vulnerable to market share erosion during economic downturns.

Source episodes

Sentiment over time

Not enough data for timeline

Changes over time

2009

Describes Zalando in its early stage, with approximately 50 employees and 6 million euros in revenue. The viability of Zappos in the U.S. was a key proof point for securing initial funding.

2010

Details a period of hyper-growth where revenue exploded from 6 million to 150 million euros.

2011

Highlights continued exponential scaling, with the workforce growing to over 2,500 employees and revenue surpassing 500 million euros.

c. 2012

Mentions reaching a major milestone in the company's fourth year of operation, with revenue exceeding 1.2 billion euros.

2023

Marks a significant strategic pivot with the launch of a B2B service, opening Zalando's logistics and software infrastructure to the 7,000 brands on its platform.

Present

Positions Zalando as a mature European e-commerce leader with over 60 million active customers and a functioning B2B logistics arm, citing NEXT as a key client for continental European fulfillment.

Suggested prompts

How does Robert Gentz's vision for a B2B ecosystem position Zalando against infrastructure-heavy competitors like Amazon? &nearr;What are the primary risks and opportunities associated with Gentz's 'European Dream' concept for entrepreneurs and investors in the region? &nearr;How might the technological innovations in sizing and visualization described by Gentz fundamentally alter the economics of online fashion retail? &nearr;Analyze the tension between Zalando's quality-focused positioning and the rise of price-centric competitors like Shein and Temu, as outlined by Gentz. &nearr;

Key concepts

Business Scaling & Growth 1 ep B2B Platform Strategy 1 ep AI in E-commerce 1 ep Customer Experience Technology 1 ep European Economic Policy 1 ep Geopolitical Competition 1 ep Competitive Strategy 1 ep Sustainability in Retail 1 ep Consumer Behavior Trends 1 ep

Notable quotes

“So we went from in 2009 we had probably like 5 million revenues 6 million revenues Then we went to 150 in the next year then more than 500 million and then more than 1.2 billion in the fourth year.”

Robert Gentz · Robert Gentz - Co-founder of Zalando | Podcast | In Good Company | Norges Bank Investment Management

“we're basically in a different game than those companies. I think they're only about price. Like our promise actually to consumers as a platform is much more around quality.”

Robert Gentz · Robert Gentz - Co-founder of Zalando | Podcast | In Good Company | Norges Bank Investment Management

“i feel the american dream which was like a big it's like a big brand of the us i think it has suffered quite a bit... i feel europe really has has a big big chance to actually tap into this void and actually create like a european idea”

Robert Gentz · Robert Gentz - Co-founder of Zalando | Podcast | In Good Company | Norges Bank Investment Management

“we're in a race now we're in a race between china and us and it's it's about relevancy and we want to win this race”

Robert Gentz · Robert Gentz - Co-founder of Zalando | Podcast | In Good Company | Norges Bank Investment Management

Report last updated: May 21, 2026

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