Zalando Shipping Solutions: Outbound process

This article outlines the guidelines for shipping to our Sort Centers, including information on daily injections, label quality and specific requirements for dangerous and fragile goods. Following these guidelines is essential for a smooth and efficient shipping process for both us and our customers.

By adhering to these standards, you'll:

• Ensure a faster and more efficient sorting process.

• Avoid delays and customer complaints.

• Prevent shipments from being returned due to non-compliance.

• Minimise the risk of low visibility (CXM) measures being applied to your account.

Here’s a quick overview of the ZSS outbound shipment lifecycle:

1. Order confirmed: We confirm the order and you download the shipping documents.

2. Your warehouse operations: You handle picking, packing and labelling the order.

3. First Mile: You ship the parcels to a ZSS Sort Center.

4. Injection: The parcels arrive at one of our Sort Centers.

5. Sortation: We sort the parcels by destination market.

6. Line Haul: We load the parcels onto the right transports, which take them to the final-mile carrier hubs.

7. Last Mile: The parcels are delivered to the customer.

For the First Mile you have two options:

• Box-in-Box Solution

• Dedicated Transport

Please download and read the presentation attached below the table of contents of this article for more information outlining use cases of the ZSS shipping guidelines. 

To ensure timely processing at ZSS injection nodes and meet our shared customer delivery expectations, you must ship your parcels daily.

As stated in your contract, the lead time for the first mile is 48 hours from the time of order confirmation. We require you to inject 95% (p95) of shipments into a ZSS injection centre within 48 hours. These rules are defined in the Platform Rules and the ZSS terms (as part of your ZSS contract) and are applicable throughout the year. 

We'll monitor your compliance weekly. Please note that partners who consistently fail to meet these guidelines may be exposed to customer experience management (CXM) measures, such as low visibility, to minimise negative customer impact.

To help you inject within the agreed targets, we recommend you:

• Process your shipments daily to avoid backlogs.

• Inject daily into the ZSS Sort Center.

• Use reliable logistics services. We recommend UPS or DHL for the Box-in-Box solution. Use express delivery services to ensure timely delivery.

• Schedule injection transport for Monday to Friday if you're using dedicated transport.

All barcodes must be machine-readable by our injection nodes and last-mile carriers. Follow these guidelines to ensure the print quality and placement of shipping documents:

• Print quality: Labels must have a print quality of 300 dpi or more.

• Size: The label must fit within the label frame, and all barcodes must be within the print, including white spaces.

• Placement: Place the labels on a single, flat surface of the shipment. Don't let the label bend over the edge or corner.

• Non-compliant labels: Shipments with labels that don't meet these standards will be returned to you. The customer will be reimbursed, and the shipment won't be eligible for last-mile delivery.

Each item needs  an EAN code. This is crucial for accurate return processing, refund triggering and tracking.  If items don't comply, it can cause issues with returns, customer defects and manual refunds. As specified in the ZEOS Delivery Terms included in the ZEOS B2B Framework Agreement, each item must have: 

• One scannable EAN/GTIN unique product number. 

• A colour code or colour description. 

• At a minimum, an EU size chart and another country’s size chart and translation.

The EAN/GTIN on the item label must be scannable, and:

• The contrast between EAN/GTIN and the background must be at least 40% different. A black on white colour combination is optimal;

• The print needs to be clean, with no streaks, to avoid disturbing the scanning process.

• The height must be at least 5mm and the length at least 30mm.

• All goods must be in a suitable box or other non-destructive packaging.

• Parcels with orders need the respective Last Mile carrier label.

• There are special requirements for fragile and beauty products.

•  Fragile product transportation packaging requires additional labelling.

•  Shipping labels must  be placed on a flat surface, avoiding corners.

• Maximum dimensions: 80cm x 60cm x 40cm. 

•  Maximum weight:  30kg,  except for Germany where the  maximum weight is 10kg.

You are responsible for identifying, shipping and adhering to the requirements for dangerous goods.

• When delivering non-dangerous goods to a Zalando site, you must not load any dangerous goods intended for other consignees.

• If dangerous goods are transported on the delivery route, you must ensure that none are left on the transport unit when you deliver to a Zalando location.

• Special labelling applies to dangerous goods in limited quantities and articles with lithium batteries. Eligibility for shipping dangerous goods in limited quantities (LQ).

All ZSS partners can ship dangerous goods in limited quantities only with  UN - Numbers on the approved list and only to DG LQ-ready markets.

If you want to ship dangerous goods with a UN number that isn't on the approved list, you must get approval from the ZSS Merchant Success Management team.

• To request approval: Use the   support form on ZPU. Select the Topic: ZEOS Logistics and then the Request type: Shipping Solutions and Outbound Shipment.  .

• When requesting approval, you must share all the UN Numbers for which you're seeking approval.

You must mark all parcels under this category with a black and white rhombus on your master cardboard box.

It's essential to adhere to all Limited Quantities (LQ) requirements, regardless of the quantity shipped. For example, even if a parcel only contains one nail polish or mascara, it must meet all LQ requirements.

While there are options within the ADR (Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road) for shipping dangerous goods without marking, such as excepted quantities/De Minimis (EQ, <1 ml/g) or lithium batteries, there are none applicable for aerosols.

If you have any doubts or questions, you can contact the Zalando Dangerous Goods Department:

Zalando SE - Dangerous Goods Department 

Email: dangerous.goods@zalando.de

We define fragile products as articles that wouldn't pass a drop test according to DIN-ISO 2248. This test simulates the potential impacts during transportation, handling, and storing of an article.

Examples of fragile products include:

• Sports and Sunglasses

• Headphones

• Jewellery

• Watches

• Electronic Devices

All individual packaging containing fragile products must be labelled and packaged to be non-destructive and unbreakable.

Examples for fragile products categories can be taken from the following list:

• Sport- and Sunglasses 

• Headphones 

• Jewelry 

• Watches 

• Electronic Devices 

Every single packaging that contains fragile products, needs to be labeled respectively (see figure below) and the packaging needs to be non-destructive and unbreakable. 

You must follow the loading rules for all carriers (e.g., trucks).

Mandatory requirements:

• Attach the delivery note from the first-mile carrier to the pallet closest to the door, or hand it to the OPSC representative.

• Don't load pallets with the long side facing forward.

• Goods for another recipient must not block your Zalando goods.

• Vehicles must be able to be unloaded from a loading ramp.

• The loading ramp must be a minimum of 2.00m wide and at least 1.00m high from the ground.

• Doors must open at least 270°.

• There must be at least a 10cm space between the goods and the truck door so the warehouse ramp has enough grip and stability. If there's not enough space, unloading isn't possible.

• Don't stack pallets on top of each other.

• If the transport is non-ramp capable, the driver must unload and hand over the packages to the ZSS Sort Center representative.

We reserve the right to refuse acceptance of delivery for the following reasons:

• Missing or incorrect documents or data.

• The goods don't match the delivery note.

• Delivery is not within the agreed timeslot or date.

• Delivery to the wrong address.

• Suspicion of theft or broken seals.

• Errors in loading, transport, or product quality.

• Unloading cannot be done safely.

• Goods for Zalando are blocked on the truck and aren't easily accessible.

• Non-compliance with truck loading requirements.

• Transport damages.

• Dangerous goods are loaded without our approval.

• Timely injections: Inject 95% of your shipments within 48 hours to avoid penalties.

• Labels: Labels must be printed at 300 dpi and placed on a flat surface.

• Item IDs: Every item needs a scannable EAN/GTIN.

• Dangerous goods and fragile items: Follow special packaging and labelling rules for these products.

• Transport: Adhere to our loading and pallet exchange guidelines.

• Contact us: For questions, please use our support form on ZPU. Select the Topic: ZEOS Logistics and then the Request type: Shipping Solutions and proceed with Outbound Shipment.