Zalando's AI Shopping Agent, Voyado & Gladly
Zalando introduces its AI shopping strategy, Voyado connects retail data with AI agents, and Gladly combines shopping with customer service.
– 2 min read
Zalando wants to sell products from other retailers through its own app, Voyado is building toward agentic retail operations, and Gladly connects AI shopping with customer service. Everything worth knowing in AI Commerce in two minutes:
Zalando wants to become an AI shopping destination.
On November 3, Zalando announced Zalando Extended, an initiative bringing products from other online retailers into its shopping experience. A pilot with Westwing is underway, while AI-assisted checkout is expected in 2027.
Insight: Customer relationships may become more valuable than inventory ownership.
Voyado wants AI agents to run retail workflows.
On October 16, Voyado announced its ambition to become an agentic operating system for retail. Its planned MCP connector is designed to make retail data accessible through external AI tools, including ChatGPT and Claude.
Insight: Connected customer data could make everyday decisions faster.
Gladly connects AI shopping and customer service.
On October 5, Gladly launched agentic commerce, combining shopping assistance and customer service within one conversational AI experience. The company says its approach allows product recommendations, order questions and exchanges to use the same customer context.
Insight: Better continuity could protect conversion and customer lifetime value.
SPOTLIGHT
Zalando wants to own the customer relationship, not every product.
Zalando's latest announcement could signal an important shift in fashion ecommerce.
The company wants customers to discover and purchase products from other retailers without leaving its app.
A pilot with Westwing is already underway. AI-assisted checkout is expected in 2027.
Why does this matter?
Traditionally, retailers compete through assortment, pricing, convenience and brand experience.
AI shopping agents could change that equation.
If customers can discover products across multiple retailers through one interface, the platform controlling that experience becomes increasingly valuable.
Zalando reported €4.5 billion in quarterly GMV, up 7.5% year over year. But its gross margin declined to 38.7%.
That makes the commercial challenge clear.
More transactions don't automatically mean better profitability.
The next competitive advantage may be owning the shopping relationship, not the inventory.
TIP FOR TODAY
Take five minutes to examine your customer journey.
- Identify where customers leave your website to compare products.
- Consider what information they're looking for elsewhere.
- Find one opportunity to make that comparison easier.
Remove one reason for customers to leave before purchasing.
DEAISY | Your Daily AI Advantage in Commerce.
Written by
Co-Founder and COO.
Agent at OpenAI.
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