Zalando discontinues free delivery in the UK, Ireland and Spain after introducing delivery fees in Italy in November 2018.
Zalando shoppers in the UK now will need to pay £3 for orders that are below £19.90. In Ireland and Spain, consumers will be charged with an almost equivalent of €3.50 (£3.03) for orders below €24.90.
However, all shipments are still free in Belgium. Zalando say that there’re no plans to introduce delivery charges for small packaged in other countries. It appears that the German fashion marketplace are echoing their words after promising to not opt for a wider-roll out after introducing smaller parcel fees in Italy. Yet, it remains to be seen whether this would bring a ‘domino-effect’ across other European markets.
“At Zalando, we aim to bring the fitting room into people’s homes. Our customers can order several items and try them on in the comfort of their homes, only keeping what they really want.”
– Zalando
Zalando say that customers in the UK, Spain and Ireland generally place small orders and “not yet fully explored the advantages of shopping on Zalando.” Zalando’s decision aims to prompt shoppers in those European markets to increase their basket size.
Smaller package fees trend
The move follows the H&M’s decision to limit free shipping. The retailer has introduced a minimum spend fee for free delivery in a push to sustain its profitability.
Industry players are changing the field by introducing savvy initiatives which aim to turn consumers shopping behaviour to their advantage so they sustain their business’ infrastructures. Are you likely to follow Zalando’s decision and scrap free delivery for smaller packages?
