Zalando appeals to EU’s top court over DSA platform status

Zalando has lodged an entreaty with the Court of Justice of the European Union (EU), seeking to overturn a ruling that dismissed its situation to EU online contented rules, arsenic reported by Reuters.

The German online manner retailer sued the European Commission aft being classified arsenic a precise ample online level (VLOP) nether the Digital Services Act (DSA), placing it nether the regime’s stricter obligations alongside large platforms specified arsenic Google and Meta.

In September 2025, the General Court successful Luxembourg rejected Zalando’s presumption that it operates a hybrid model, offering its ain products arsenic good arsenic items from partners, and truthful differs from different ample platforms.

"The General Court's ruling creates an overly wide and incorrect mentation of what 3rd enactment contented is, impacting galore industries crossed Europe's economical landscape," Zalando states successful its entreaty to the EU Court of Justice.

The retailer warned that this mentation could widen DSA compliance to astir each online service, from media to supermarkets and tourism.

Zalando is besides contending that the little tribunal had improperly shifted the load of proof, requiring VLOPs to show that they should not person been designated arsenic such.

It further argues that the tribunal relied connected an inaccurate method for calculating progressive recipients - a cardinal metric successful determining VLOP status.

Zalando precocious posted higher 3rd 4th (Q3) 2025 net and announced a caller concern with the German Football Federation (DFB) to fortify its presumption successful the sportswear segment.

In Q3, the company’s gross merchandise measurement (GMV) roseate 21.6% from a twelvemonth earlier to €4.2bn ($4.84bn), portion gross accrued 26.5% year-on-year to €3bn.

The figures were mostly influenced by the acquisition of Hamburg-based About You, which was formally combined with Zalando successful July 2025.

In September 2025, Zalando appointed Anna Dimitrova arsenic its caller main fiscal officer, effectual from 1 January 2026.

"Zalando appeals to EU’s apical tribunal implicit DSA level presumption " was primitively created and published by Retail Insight Network, a GlobalData owned brand.

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