Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield’s Germany business has partnered with e-commerce platform Zalando, granting the landlord access to new customers.
Participating occupiers within URW’s seven shopping centres in Berlin can therefore use Zalando as an additional sales channel.
The agreement had been in the works for a long time, according to URW, but was sped up to help offset the impact of the coronavirus crisis on bricks-and-mortar retailers.
URW is the first shopping centre landlord to sign up to Zalando’s Connected Retail initiative, which aims to boost offline retail and optimise last-mile logistics processes.
Under this network, products ordered online by customers are forwarded directly to connected partners that stock the items. The retailer’s store employees or local warehouse would then oversee shipping.
The partnership will initially focus on the greater Berlin area, and on URW’s larger occupiers in Germany.
The landlord said plans are underway to expand the partnership.
URW currently operates 24 shopping centres in Germany.
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