Amazon offers the widest reach and a price-aware customer, so it fits a broad assortment and everyday products. Zalando and About You are built around fashion: they demand more of your data and photos, but they bring a customer who comes for clothing. Premium and fashion brands usually start with Zalando or About You, and mass-market products with Amazon.
How do you choose a marketplace for a fashion brand?
The choice rests on four questions: what product you have, at what price, who you want to reach and on which market. Add your stage of growth, because a brand with a ready back end can carry different requirements than someone just starting out.
Amazon, Zalando and About You: a comparison
| Platform | Sales model | Audience | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon | Marketplace, optional platform logistics | Widest, price-aware | Broad assortment, everyday products, basics and streetwear |
| Zalando | Partner Program or wholesale model | Fashion shoppers, strong DACH market | Apparel and footwear brands with clean data |
| About You | Fashion marketplace | Younger, mobile, style-driven | Lifestyle and younger brands, strong visuals |
The table is a starting point, not a verdict. Commissions, requirements and availability change over time and depend on the category, so before deciding it's worth working out the margin on a specific product.
Which marketplace should you start with?
If you have a fashion product with good photos and clean sizing, start with Zalando or About You, because you reach a customer looking for clothing right away. If you sell a broad, more universal assortment and care about volume, Amazon is the natural first step.
Whatever you choose, it's better to get one platform running properly and only then add the next. Product data prepared once carries over to the next platform, so the second launch goes faster.
See how this played out in practice in our case study on entering Zalando and About You.
Frequently asked questions
Which marketplace is best for a fashion brand?
There is no single best one. Zalando and About You are built around fashion and a style-driven audience; Amazon reaches the widest, most price-aware audience. The right choice depends on your product, price level and target market.
Can I sell on Amazon, Zalando and About You at the same time?
Yes, but it rarely makes sense to launch on all three at once. Most brands get one platform working end to end, then add the next, reusing the product data they already prepared.
What matters more, commission or reach?
Look at margin after commission, not the commission alone. A higher fee on a platform that brings the right customers and volume can beat a lower fee on one that doesn't sell your product.