Robert Gentz - Co-founder of Zalando | Podcast | In Good Company | Norges Bank Investment Management

What does it take to build a European tech champion from scratch? Nicolai Tangen sits down with Robert Gentz, co-founder and co-CEO of Zalando, to trace the journey from selling flip-flops to building Europe’s leading online fashion platform with more than 60 million customers. Gentz shares how Zalando scaled at unprecedented speed, the flywheel behind its expansion across categories and countries, and how early customer learning shaped everything that followed. The conversation explores how data and AI are reshaping fashion—from sizing and personalization to logistics and returns—and why Gentz believes in a “European Dream” that keeps entrepreneurial talent and companies on the continent. A wide-ranging conversation on scale, leadership, and Europe’s future in tech. Tune in! In Good Company is hosted by Nicolai Tangen, CEO of Norges Bank Investment Management. New episode out every Wednesday. The podcast In Good Company is part of Norges Bank Investment Management, a podcast about our investments. We are transparent about how the fund is invested. In this podcast, you get a deeper insight into the companies the fund is invested in. Our CEO, Nicolai Tangen, has in-depth interviews with the leaders of some of the largest companies in the world. You will get insight into their leadership principles, the company’s strategy and how they are dealing with a large investor like us. You will also learn more about our role as an owner of the companies. You can read more about the podcast on https://www.nbim.no/en/publications/p... 0:00 Intro – Nicolai meets Robert Gentz, co-founder of Zalando 1:00 The founding story: flip-flops, financial crisis, and frugality 5:07 Explosive growth and the Zalando flywheel 8:45 Expanding across categories, brands, and geographies 10:28 The B2B play: powering other brands' logistics 12:32 How data and AI are transforming fashion e-commerce 16:14 Tackling returns, sustainability, and climate impact 19:50 Competing with Temu and Shein 26:37 Leadership, culture, and going public 33:21 The European dream and advice for young people