Zalando layoffs confirmed in Berlin as company pursues mutual termination agreements
Zalando layoffs hit the headlines after the fashion retailer confirmed plans for further workforce reductions in its Berlin operations, the company said as it seeks more agile structures to respond to market changes.
Zalando confirmed to news agency dpa that it intends to reduce staff at its Berlin offices as part of a broader effort to streamline operations across its business. The company said it will pursue voluntary, mutual termination agreements and emphasized the need to react more quickly to shifts in the market.
Zalando confirms new Berlin job reductions
Zalando issued a statement saying it is working to create “agilere and targeted structures” that allow faster responses to market changes, and that adjustments in staffing are part of that process. The company’s spokesperson told dpa that the reductions are being pursued through voluntary arrangements rather than unilateral dismissals.
A German business newspaper had reported the plans earlier, citing internal documents and suggesting roughly 200 positions could be affected in Berlin, but Zalando declined to confirm the exact numbers or the specific locations involved. Company communications have focused on the method — mutual agreements — rather than on a precise headcount.
Mutual termination agreements to be used
Zalando said it will offer Aufhebungsverträge, or mutual termination agreements, which it described as based on “double voluntariness” — requiring voluntary acceptance by both employer and employee. The company presented these agreements as part of a negotiated, non-confrontational approach to change, stressing that no forced layoffs are planned under the current strategy.
Management framed the measure as an effort to reduce disruption while realigning roles and responsibilities, and indicated that packages would be negotiated individually. Works council sources and labour representatives have cautioned that voluntary offers can still place pressure on employees, particularly in operations where staffing capacity is already lean.
Erfurt closure and social plan details
Earlier this year Zalando announced the planned closure of its Erfurt logistics site, a move that has become a focal point of broader restructuring debates within the company. The Erfurt facility, which currently employs about 2,100 people, is scheduled to close by the end of September, and the company has said the decision announced in January affects some 2,700 employees overall.
Following extended negotiations between management and the works council, Zalando confirmed in July that a social plan has been agreed for those affected by the Erfurt closure. Company statements indicate the plan focuses primarily on severance payments, while the works council had sought funding for a transfer company to support redeployment — a demand that ultimately was not met by management.
Earlier Berlin cuts and customer service restructuring
Zalando’s current move comes after a significant reorganisation of its customer service operations last year, when approximately 450 positions in Berlin were removed. That restructuring was presented at the time as part of efforts to streamline customer-facing functions and improve efficiency across digital and logistics operations.
Industry analysts say the cumulative effect of consecutive restructurings can concentrate uncertainty within specific metropolitan hubs like Berlin, where Zalando maintains major corporate and service units. For employees and local labour bodies, the pattern has heightened calls for clearer transition measures and stronger support for redeployment or retraining.
Bukarest expansion and role relocation plans
Alongside reductions in Germany, Zalando is expanding operations in Romania, announcing plans to establish a new site in Bucharest that will create about 60 jobs by the first quarter of 2027. The company said it intends to transfer certain positions and processes to Bucharest over time as part of a longer-term operational realignment.
Zalando’s public statements frame the Bucharest initiative as part of a balanced strategy to diversify geographic footprints and to tap into different talent pools. Critics warn that shifting roles abroad can amplify domestic job losses, while proponents argue that international expansion can sustain corporate competitiveness and create new opportunities in emerging hubs.
Labour objections and regional political reaction
The planned reductions and the Erfurt closure have drawn protests from the works council, trade unions, employees and the Thuringia state government. Local leaders and union representatives have criticised the decision-making process and pressed for more extensive mitigation measures to prevent prolonged unemployment for affected workers.
Zalando, for its part, has defended its restructuring steps as necessary to adapt to a changing retail landscape. Company officials stress that negotiations with employee representatives have produced compensatory measures, but political and union scrutiny is likely to continue as the Erfurt shutdown proceeds and new Berlin changes are implemented.
The coming months will test how effectively Zalando balances cost-cutting and operational agility with the social obligations that accompany large-scale workforce changes. Employees facing voluntary offers, local authorities monitoring site closures, and observers tracking the relocation of roles to Bucharest will all play a role in shaping the final outcome.
