Zalando restructures and closes a logistics site in Germany

Zalando, the ecommerce site specialising in clothing and fashion, restructures its network of logistics platforms and in Germany closes its Erfurt plant, which will cease operations by the end of the year, cutting 2,700 jobs. Three other warehouses abroad, managed by external suppliers, will also be closed. Motivated by the desire to 'further strengthen its position in the European fashion and lifestyle market', the company says in a note that it has set itself the goal of relocating as many people as possible from the Erfurt hub to other company locations. Employees are currently being informed about the plans, the company said from its Berlin headquarters. According to spokesman Christian Schmidt, the company said it would start talks with the Erfurt works council on a reconciliation of interests and a social plan to offer perspective to those affected. The Zalando logistics centre in Erfurt was opened in 2012. Its closure represents a further blow for workers in eastern Germany, with most of Germany's industry concentrated in the richer areas in the south and south-west of the country. According to the spokesman, the Erfurt site was the largest logistics hub owned by Zalando in the region. Zalando operates other logistics centres in Gießen in central Germany, Lahr in the south and Mönchengladbach in the west of the country.

Un rendering del polo logistico Zalando a Erfurt

"We have made the difficult but necessary decision to close our logistics centre in Erfurt, Germany, by the end of September 2026. In addition, we will discontinue operations at three warehouses outside Germany operated by external service providers for Zalando and About You (a company acquired in July 2025 in a EUR 1.1 billion ndr deal),' the company says in the note. 'We did not take this decision lightly. We are deeply grateful for the contribution of every team member and deeply regret the impact these decisions will have on our colleagues. In Erfurt we are committed to maintaining an open dialogue with our employees, their representatives and all our partners. We will immediately start negotiations with the Erfurt works council on a social plan. Together with external experts, we have developed a comprehensive set of structured support offers to assist our employees in this transition with integrity and understanding.