Economic ZOOT CONFIRMS THE SUCCESS OF USING AN ONLINE PLATFORM FOR FASHION. LAST YEAR, IT SOLD ABOUT SEVENTEEN MIL. EUROS WORTH OF CLOTHING

ZOOT, a fashion e-commerce store, reached record sales of 450 million CZK (16,5 mil. euros) in 2015. Their turnover rate has more than doubled when compared to the previous year. The largest Czech player in internet fashion sold around 180 million CZK (6,5 mil. euros) in 2014. ZOOT plans to maintain at least a 100% growth rate in 2016.

ZOOT currently offers more than 300 brands and brings new up-to-date fashion collections every day. After three years of operating, it has managed to win about 25 per cent of the Czech e-commerce market with new fashion. ZOOT’s website is visited by 80,000 people a day, which is higher than the number of people visiting the largest shopping centre in Prague.

Can everything be tried on before you buy? Of course!

The statistics show 7 out of 10 customers that order something from ZOOT use the offer to try the items on before buying in Try & Buy Stores. Here, customers can try out anything they purchased, just like at brick and mortar store. They can use the fitting rooms, and the personal staff can help with styling outfits and recommending matching accessories.

“Within the first three years of running, we perfected the revolutionary store concept at ZOOT, which really compliments the advantages of online shopping (i.e. a wide selection with new items every day) and the offline environment (i.e. the possibility of being able to try on and touch the items before you buy). We are able to deliver items in Prague on an average of within 3 hours of making the order. Our customers have grown accustomed to ordering items and making themselves happy on ZOOT during their coffee break, and trying on the items in our Try & Buy Stores on their way home from work,” explains ZOOT’s co-owner Ladislav Trpák, and adds: “The innovative concept of trying on before you buy has been a proven success. We have a total of 24 Try & Buy Stores in all of the countries we sell in; 14 in the Czech Republic, 3 in the Slovak Republic, and 7 in Romania. This year, we will continue to expand our network and plan to open about 15 more Try & Buy Stores in our markets.”

Profitability this year

ZOOT’s goal is to become the leader in online fashion sales in the CEE region. Its sales have increased annually by at least 100% since it launched in 2012. In addition to selling in the Czech Republic, it also operates in the Slovak Republic and Romania. It plans to enter another market by the end of this year. ZOOT earned 450 million CZK (16,5 mil. euros ) in 2015, with 45 million CZK (1,6 mil. euros) coming from the Slovak Republic.

“ZOOT’s operation format has been a proven success in the Czech Republic, and we have already achieved operating profit earlier this year. We expect operating profit in the Czech Republic to reach about 30 million CZK (1 mil. euros) for the full year of 2016. In addition to further strong growth in the domestic market, we expect growth in the Central and Eastern European countries as well. We will arrange investments for expansion at the next round of funding, which we’re preparing for in the middle of this year,” says ZOOT’s co-owner and Financial Director Petr Ladžov.

The Czechs want to have fun with fashion – humorous prints are winning

Among all the brands ZOOT offers, the private label ZOOT Originál was the most successful. In 2015 alone, this brand sold over 124,000 clothing pieces, which accounts to only half of all the clothing units sold in 2014.

“The brand ZOOT Originál was created on a whim. Our initial idea was to target the Czech audience with traditional humour and values. The same recipe is now used in our other markets – i.e. in Romania and the Slovak Republic. Our other private label, OJJU, which is made in Spain and Italy, has been very successful as well. We plan to create and release an entirely new unique brand in the spring of 2016,” comments Ladislav Trpák about the product offering and adds: “In addition to our private labels, we sell approx. 300 fashion brands from all around the world. 2015 was quite a milestone for us because we managed to get large global brands to sell at ZOOT, which previously only sold through their own channel. Some brands include Dorothy Perkins and New Look.”