Zalando has acquired London-based 3D and augmented reality (AR) company DeepAR, as part of its continued investment in advanced technology.
DeepAR will continue to operate independently following its acquisition, but Zalando believes harnessing DeepAR technology can help the fashion marketplace “bridge the gap between physical and digital shopping”.
Laura Toledano, Zalando general manager of UK, Ireland and France, said: “The UK is a market known for being innovative yet fashion savvy. Therefore, I am very happy that we’re investing into bringing London-based start-up Deep AR under the Zalando roof.
“Being able to offer 3D content and experiences at scale will enhance the online shopping experience, further bridging the gap between physical and digital shopping, and deepening customer relationships in the UK and beyond.”
Zalando has previously trialled 3D virtual fitting rooms, in a bid to reduce returns. Its co-founder and co-CEO has also predicted that generative AI will help facilitate product discovery, claiming the tool will allow retailers’ ecommerce journey’s to become more “fun, relevant and personal”.
The marketplace has also invested in its fashion offering, in December it acquired About You in a bid to appeal to a young fashion audience.
Zalando is looked at in detail across a double-page company profile in the ChannelX Europe’s Marketplace report.
The report offers an insight into not only how the European marketplace sector as a whole operates, but how each marketplace by region and sector drives that performance – and what that means for the year ahead.
It takes the leading 27 marketplaces in Europe by sector, each featuring a detailed profile of their origin, development and USPs, augmented by detailed analysis of their performance.
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