Driven by the increased deployment of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and synergies from the About You acquisition, Zalando delivered robust growth in the first quarter. 'Our unique data and infrastructure platform, combined with AI, represents a massive competitive advantage,' Robert Gentz, co-CEO of Europe's largest online fashion retailer, stated on Wednesday. The company utilizes AI for tasks such as generating product imagery and descriptions, while the technology also enhances the customer shopping experience.

Gross Merchandise Volume (GMV) transacted via the platform rose by nearly 22 percent to 4.29 billion euros. Group revenue climbed by almost 24 percent to three billion euros, while adjusted operating profit surged by approximately 40 percent to 64.8 million euros. For the full year, Zalando continues to target growth in both GMV and group revenue of 12 to 17 percent, with an operating result projected between 660 and 740 million euros.

(Reporting by Hakan Ersen, edited by Sabine Wollrab. For inquiries, please contact our editorial team at berlin.newsroom@thomsonreuters.com (for politics and economics) or frankfurt.newsroom@thomsonreuters.com (for corporate and markets).)