Zalando introduces membership programme offering enhanced benefits

Etail giant Zalando has unveiled a new membership service that will offer premium benefits such as pick-up of returns on demand and early access to sales.

Zalando Zet will initially be rolled out on an invitation-only basis in four cities in its home market of Germany; Berlin, Leipzig, Frankfurt and Hannover.

The service promises "benefits along the entire customer journey" such as returns on demand, early sale access as well as faster delivery, dedicated customer service and the ability to contact stylists via telephone or Facebook for fashion advice.

"To make it as easy as possible to buy fashion online, Zalando constantly invests into customers by piloting new and innovative services and partnering with brands and retailers. Zalando Zet is the next step within our strategy of providing an even more frictionless shopping experience, tailored to fashion,” said Senior Vice President Convenience David Schröder.

Zalando was one of the first etailers to offer free delivery and returns within 100 days back in 2008 and service has remained key to its proposition ever since, said Head of Zalando Zet Lisa Schöner.

"Zalando Zet combines the best of both online and offline shopping: Customers receive orders faster and return items easier. Furthermore, Zalando Zet adds a personal experience, as customers can ask Zalando about the latest trends or if they are unsure how to combine the shirt they just ordered,” she added.

Membership to the scheme costs €19 and the business says it expects to roll it out to further German cities in the coming months.

A number of fashion etailers have been upping the ante on service lately, across both luxury and the fast fashion space, in order to bridge the gap between online and offline retail. Net-A-Porter and Mr Porter recently announced its new enhanced services for EIPs which will be rolled out from September. They include a “try on and wait” delivery service and at-home shopping consultations.

Amazon Fashion is also trialling a free "try before you buy" service in the US, called Prime Wardrobe, which enables customers to order between three and 15 items and try on at home before committing to purchase. The greater the number of items they keep, the greater discount they will receive and anything they don't want can be returned free of charge.