Zalando starts AI returns rollout while Zalando stock sits 25.83 percent below its high

Published on 10/08/2026 at 11:27 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS

Second-quarter adjusted EBIT rose 10.00 percent to EUR 205 million. Zalando stock costs EUR 22.57 on October 8, 2026, minus 0.31 percent versus EUR 22.64.

Bauhaus-Poster mit geometrischen Schuhsilhouetten in Orange, Schwarz und Weiß — Zalando SE (DE000ZAL1111) – stilisierte Schuh-Silhouetten im Bauhaus-Stil in Orange, Schwarz und Weiß, Illustration mit AI erstellt.

Zalando stock (ISIN DE000ZAL1111) was trading at EUR 22.57 at Lang & Schwarz on October 8, 2026 at 11:17 a.m. CEST, minus 0.31 percent versus the EUR 22.64 prior close. The company has now added live AI-powered returns handling to its logistics strategy.

On October 7, 2026, Sereact, Zalando and CEVA Logistics announced that dual-arm robotic systems had entered live operations at facilities in Greven, Germany, and ?wiebodzin, Poland, according to GlobeNewswire. The systems identify, grasp and sort returned fashion items through Sereact's Cortex platform, marking the first operational milestone of a broader European rollout.

Automation moves into live operations

The deployment uses a Robotics-as-a-Service model, shifting repetitive handling work toward robotic systems while warehouse teams take on supervision, exception management and quality control. Zalando joined Sereact's Series B round as a strategic investor in July 2026, linking the operational launch to an existing technology investment.

The project gives Zalando a practical test of AI in one of fashion e-commerce's most difficult processes. Returns arrive in inconsistent conditions, so the ability to classify previously unseen items matters more than a system designed only for fixed product profiles.

Profit growth meets margin pressure

Zalando's second-quarter adjusted EBIT reached EUR 205 million, up 10.00 percent from the prior-year period, while the adjusted EBIT margin declined to 6.00 percent from 6.50 percent. Those figures were reported in the company's second-quarter earnings call, published by Yahoo Finance.

The same call showed B2B revenue of EUR 335 million, up 27.60 percent year over year, and adjusted EBIT of EUR 41 million compared with EUR 11 million in the prior-year period. This mix is important for the investment case because higher-margin B2B growth is expanding profit even as the integration of ABOUT YOU weighs on the group margin.

Stock remains below its yearly high

The EUR 22.57 Lang & Schwarz price stood 25.83 percent below Zalando's 52-week high of EUR 30.43 and 21.27 percent above its 52-week low of EUR 18.61 on October 8, 2026. The finance data snapshot also put Zalando's market capitalization at EUR 5.5 billion on that date.

For investors, the central tension is visible in the operating figures: B2B adjusted EBIT rose from EUR 11 million to EUR 41 million, while the group adjusted EBIT margin moved from 6.50 percent to 6.00 percent. The returns automation project adds an execution metric to that broader shift toward technology-led efficiency.

Price and operating signals

Zalando was trading at EUR 22.57 at Lang & Schwarz on October 8, 2026 at 11:17 a.m. CEST, minus 0.31 percent versus the EUR 22.64 prior close. The next course of trading is shown by the continuously updated real-time quote of Zalando stock.