May 7, 2025 – Zalando, a prominent online fashion retailer, announced its expanded use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) to accelerate the creation of imagery for its app and website. This initiative aims to enhance the speed and efficiency of content production, allowing Zalando to respond to emerging fashion trends as well as reduce costs.
Zalando, through AI usage, looks to bring more flexibility, accuracy, and speed, without losing the human touch. The company's latest move highlights a real-world application of AI within an e-commerce platform.
In recent years, AI in E-commerce has transformed the industry and driven down costs. To walk with this trend, Zalando is using AI to create imagery quickly. It is also developing models of AI-generated digital twins to use in its marketing.
Views and Statements
In an exclusive, Matthias Haase, Zalando’s vice president of content solutions, said, “We are using artificial intelligence to enhance our ability to respond quickly to evolving trends.” He further added, “Using generative AI cuts the time needed to produce imagery to around three to four days from six to eight weeks. It can also reduce costs by 90%.”
In the fourth quarter of 2024, about 70% of Zalando’s editorial campaign images were generated using AI, as the company has increased usage of the technology. ‘Mob wife’, ‘brat summer, and other AI-generated images highlight the company’s recap of the year’s biggest trends.
Usage of advanced technologies like AI in the fashion industry can help to speed up production as well as make marketing more efficient. Zelando is the latest fashion retailer to use AI-generated digital twins of models.
AI-generated 3D replicas allow Zalando to use a model in a campaign and display an identical version on the app’s product images, without needing to take hundreds of pictures. When asked about the impact of generative AI on fashion photographer jobs, Hasse replied, “Traditional fashion shoots will still be required, but photographers and other creatives will also have to adapt to using AI tools.
Impact and Future Outlook
Adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming a game changer for companies operating in in fashion and e-commerce industries. It empowers them to enhance efficiency, improve speed, and reduce costs.
Zalando’s expanded usage of regenerative AI is a testament to the growing trend of using AI in the fashion and retail sectors. More companies are expected to follow this trend to boost efficiency and reduce overall costs. This is expected to foster growth of artificial intelligence in e-commerce market in the coming years.
Sources:
News Outlet: Reuters
