BERLIN — Gap is getting back in action in Germany, via a partnership with German e-tail giant Zalando.
The American sportswear retailer and Berlin-based online retailer announced a pan-European partnership in which Gap will open its own dedicated online shop with Zalando. Slated to start next summer, the Gap shop will offer apparel and accessories from the Gap Women, Gap Men, GapKids and Baby Gap assortments, selling to consumers in Zalando’s 15 European markets.
Gap joins brands such as Adidas, Esprit, Hugo Boss, Levi’s, Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, Mango and Topshop in Zalando’s cooperative shop roster.
The shop is Gap’s “first foray in multi-brand retailing in Europe,” noted Stefan Laban, Gap senior vice president international. Furthermore, Gap’s collections will for the first time be styled alongside other brands on the Zalando site, “providing customers with new looks to combine American and European casual style, he said.
Boasting more than 100 million visits per month, Zalando is Europe’s largest specialist footwear and fashion e-tailer.
Gap started operations in Europe in the U.K. in 1987, and currently operates 190 company-operated stores and 33 franchise locations in Europe, though none in Germany since pulling out a decade ago.
Gap also ships to 24 countries via its own online shop, but noted the Zalando e-shop would complement the brand’s online presence.