DS Smith, a FTSE100 listed company specializing in sustainable fiber-based packaging solutions, announces a strengthening of its partnership with Zalando, one of Europe's leading multi-brand fashion and lifestyle platforms. This contract covers fiber-based corrugated cardboard packaging solutions for Zalando's European products and will commence in April 2025. This is an extension of their long-standing partnership, allowing both companies to continue innovating and implementing bespoke and more sustainable packaging solutions for Zalando's orders and delivery centers across Europe, including Germany, Poland, France, Hungary, Sweden, Italy, the United Kingdom, Spain, Estonia, and Switzerland.

The collaboration between the two companies is expected to drive significant innovations in design and material usage. DS Smith's design teams are renowned for their approach to Circular Design Principles, which minimize material use, optimize supply chain efficiency, and promote recyclability by using recycled materials wherever possible. The focus is on promoting a circular economy aimed at reducing consumption, waste, and pollution by extending product lifespans and integrating sustainability into the core of strategies. This collaboration with Zalando is set to establish a benchmark of excellence for the e-commerce sector.

Marc Chiron, Sales, Marketing, and Innovation Director of DS Smith's Packaging division, said: "We are delighted to be appointed as a primary supplier for Zalando. This new agreement will allow us to deepen our research and continue to create exceptional packaging solutions for Zalando's e-commerce product portfolio across Europe. We are committed to delivering world-class packaging and, as a business, we are innovating to Reimagine Packaging for a Changing World. This is a fantastic opportunity to refine our understanding of Zalando's products, production, and supply chain processes."

David Fischer, Director of Sustainable Logistics and Packaging at Zalando, added: "DS Smith has proven to be a valuable, inspiring, and reliable partner for Zalando, with whom we have worked remarkably well in recent years. We are innovation-driven and strive to offer customer-centric and more sustainable solutions. As a major player, our customers expect us to lead the way towards a more sustainable future, and we are committed to setting new standards for e-commerce and for Zalando in general."

Zalando is developing a pan-European ecosystem for fashion and lifestyle e-commerce around two growth axes: B2C (Business-to-Consumer) and B2B (Business-to-Business). In B2C, Zalando offers a high-quality multi-brand shopping experience to approximately fifty million active customers in twenty-five markets. In B2B, Zalando uses its logistics infrastructure, software, and services to help brands and retailers manage and grow their e-commerce businesses, whether or not they are present on Zalando.

DS Smith is committed to Reimagining Packaging for a Changing World for future generations as part of its Now & Next sustainability strategy. This strategy aims to promote circularity, accelerate the transition to carbon neutrality, and support people, communities, and the environment. DS Smith helps its customers transition to a low-carbon and circular economy, both now and for future generations.