On Zalando, logistics is not a background operation.
It is part of the sales engine.
Last-mile delivery and returns decide whether cross-border sales truly scale or only look good on paper.
Many sellers enter Zalando with a strong product and competitive pricing, only to see growth stall over time. In most cases, the issue is not demand. It is what happens after checkout.
Why Zalando strictly controls last-mile and returns
Zalando is built around one core promise: a consistent customer experience across Europe.
A customer in Germany, France or Spain expects fast delivery, predictable tracking and a simple return process.
To protect this experience, Zalando treats the carrier as part of its operational SLA.
Last-mile performance directly affects offer visibility, account quality and long-term scalability.
From Zalando’s perspective, there is no such thing as a foreign seller.
There is only local customer experience.
How Zalando’s cross-border logic works in practice
Sellers are allowed to sell cross-border.
Operations are not.
Delivery and returns must look local in every target market. This means using carriers that are native to the destination country and aligned with Zalando’s operational standards.
When last-mile or returns deviate from local expectations, Zalando sees it immediately in the data. Delays, inconsistent statuses or long return cycles translate directly into weaker account performance.
Last-mile carriers accepted by Zalando in supported markets
Zalando clearly defines which carriers meet its operational requirements in each country.
This is not guidance. It is the standard.
In the markets we support, Zalando works with the following carriers:
In Germany: DHL
In France: Colissimo, Chronopost
In the Netherlands: PostNL
In Belgium: Bpost
In Austria: Post AT
In the United Kingdom: Royal Mail, Evri
In Italy: Poste Italiane
In Spain: Correos
In Poland: DHL, InPost, DPD
These operators were selected because they provide fast delivery, dense pickup networks, efficient returns handling and full system integration with Zalando.
What happens when sellers use a different carrier
This is one of the most common cross-border mistakes.
A seller relies on a carrier that performs well in the origin country but fails to meet last-mile standards in the destination market. The impact is rarely immediate. It typically starts with small delivery delays, then tracking inconsistencies, and eventually slow and inefficient returns.
From Zalando’s perspective, intent is irrelevant.
SLA outcomes matter.
Cross-border returns. Where last-mile becomes expensive
Outbound delivery matters.
Returns decide profitability.
This is especially true in fashion. The most frequent issue is the lack of a local return flow. Products are shipped back internationally to the seller’s country, extending transit time, freezing availability and locking cash.
At scale, this is not just a logistics cost.
It is lost revenue, weaker cashflow and declining account quality.
What this means for European marketplace sellers
Selling on Zalando requires operational thinking.
Shipping cross-border is not enough.
Every seller should be able to answer four questions clearly:
- Is last-mile truly local in each market?
- Are returns handled according to local standards?
- How quickly does the product return to sale?
- Are order and return statuses fully synchronised with Zalando systems?
These are the real levers of scalable marketplace growth.
Conclusion
Zalando does not block sellers directly.
Zalando rewards operational compliance.
Last-mile delivery and cross-border returns are not optional costs.
They are prerequisites for visibility, stable SLA and long-term scale.
Sellers who understand this grow faster.
Others keep wondering why performance plateaus.
Returns suck. We fix it.
