Client story: Zalando

Zalando and Svea: Growing together through local customer understanding

With 62 million customers across 29 markets, Zalando is one of Europe’s leading fashion and lifestyle e-commerce platforms. Partnering with over 7 000 brands, Zalando’s business is built on a unique infrastructure platform which offers customers a wide assortment of products as well as convenient services.

Delivering great customer experience across Europe requires a deep understanding of local customer preferences and strong local partners. We at Svea have been proud to support Zalando in the Nordic market for more than a decade, helping create payment experiences that meet local customer expectations and support long-term growth.

Building conversion through local insight

When Zalando expanded into the Nordic market in 2012, they offered invoice and card payments as payment methods. However, customer behaviour differed significantly across the Nordic region. In Finland, shoppers strongly preferred online bank payments, which impacted conversion rates compared to neighbouring markets.

Recognising the importance of local payment preferences, Zalando partnered with Maksuturva, a Finnish payment provider that later became part of Svea. In 2013 we provided Zalando the payment methods Finnish consumers expected, helping them improve conversion and create a smoother customer experience.

Since then, we have continued to develop our collaboration. By combining local market expertise with close day-to-day cooperation, we have helped Zalando adapt to changing customer expectations while supporting their growth in Finland.

Local market understanding plays a key role in creating the best possible customer experience. Svea has provided valuable insights into Finnish consumer preferences and helped Zalando continuously optimise its payment offering. Given the strength of the collaboration, extending it to ABOUT YOU was a natural next step.

A partnership built on trust

Over the years our partnership with Zalando has been built on trust, flexibility, and responsiveness. As customer expectations have evolved, we have worked closely together to develop customised payment solutions that support both business goals and customer experience.

Our collaboration extends beyond payments. Through our strong network in the Nordic market, we have also connected Finnish brands with Zalando, creating new opportunities for international growth and visibility.

"The foundation of our partnership has always been a shared understanding that customers expect local, convenient, and trusted payment services. The collaboration is easy, responsive, and built on a common goal: creating the best possible customer journey", says Tomas Lundqvist, CEO of Svea Payments Oy.

Combining local expertise with innovation

While local customer understanding remains essential, we also recognise the importance of continuous innovation. Zalando invests heavily in AI-powered tools that help customers discover products more easily, receive personalised recommendations, and find the right fit. Together, local expertise and digital innovation create better shopping experiences across markets.

Supporting the next phase of growth

In 2025 Zalando acquired ABOUT YOU, bringing together two leading European fashion and lifestyle e-commerce ecosystems.

As Zalando enters its next phase of growth, we are proud to continue supporting the journey. By the end of the year, our customised payment solution will also be implemented on the ABOUT YOU platform, extending a successful partnership into its next chapter.

 

Further information

If you would like to learn more about Svea's payment solutions, please contact