Before takeover by Zalando: About You increases annual sales and reduces loss

Hamburg-based online fashion retailer About You Holding SE presented its results for the financial year 2024/25, shortly before its planned takeover by competitor Zalando. On Thursday, the e-commerce specialist announced that it had met its forecasts with an increase in sales and progress in earnings.

In the past financial year, which ended at the end of February, group sales reached approximately two billion dollars, the highest in the company's history. Revenues increased by 3.4 percent compared to the previous year.

Sales in the fashion category grew by 8 percent to 990.4 million dollars in the core DACH region, which includes Germany, Austria and Switzerland, and by 1 percent to 935 million dollars in the other European markets. According to the company, both the number of active customers (plus 4.8 percent) and orders (plus 1.2 percent) increased compared to the previous year.

About You reports significant improvement in earnings

In the Tech, Media and Enabling (TME) segment, which includes the B2B platform operator Scayle, sales rose by 1.1 percent to 191 million dollars.

Thanks in part to an increase in the gross margin from 38.7 to 40.4 percent, the group was able to significantly improve its earnings. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA), adjusted for special effects, which had been 3.2 million dollars in the previous year, jumped to 28.1 million dollars. The reported net loss decreased by 4.9 percent from 112.2 million dollars to 106.7 million dollars.

Planned takeover by Zalando is proceeding “according to plan”

About You believes it is “well positioned” for the current financial year 2025/26. The management board expects “moderate growth in group sales and a strong increase in adjusted EBITDA compared to the previous year”, according to a statement.

At the same time, the company expects the takeover by Berlin-based online retailer Zalando SE to be completed. About You explained that “the takeover process is proceeding according to plan along the lines of the processes communicated since December 2024”. The completion of the transaction is still “subject to regulatory approvals” and is “expected to take place in the summer of 2025”.