Inside Zalando: Stockholm Hub

Welcome to our Inside Zalando series, where we take you on a tour of our international hubs and teams. This series dives into the heart of each office, showcasing what makes them unique, how they foster collaboration, and how they contribute to the larger Zalando community. For this edition, we explore our Stockholm Zalando Hub. 

3 min
18 December 2024

The City
Consisting of 14 islands connected by 57 bridges, Stockholm is often referred to as the Venice of the North. Modernity meets tradition in the beautiful Swedish capital, with a booming tech industry amidst historic buildings. In the heart of the city, next to T-Centralen, the main train station, is the Stockholm Zalando Hub. A short walk away is the stunning Old Town and the Riksdag, the Swedish Parliament, an impressive 16th century landmark.

The Office 
The Stockholm office is a relatively new member of the family, with the first teams on site since January 2023. It is located in the United Spaces Waterfront building, which offers incredible views of Stockholm City Hall, the lock and the harbour. United Spaces Waterfront's most prominent and valued feature is its strong focus on culture and well-being. Through a wide range of activities such as yoga, massages and choir singing, as well as special theme days including breakfast buffets and sweet buffets, and regular after-work events every Thursday and Friday, a stimulating environment is created that promotes the health and well-being of members. This contributes to a sense of community and togetherness in the building. In addition, the occasional opportunity to purchase delicacies such as cheese and olives at the entrance further enhances the members' experience by providing convenience and a touch of luxury for the weekend.

The Teams
The staff comprises 26 nationalities with a wide range of talents from software engineers, product managers, product designers and user researchers to commercial and operational staff. The teams in the multi-purpose hub focus on developing tools and services to support merchants, such as managing product data, integrating external systems, facilitating tax reporting and providing unified control panels for ZEOS Logistics. Their work ensures a seamless experience for merchants across multiple channels.

By streamlining merchant services and improving logistics efficiency, the teams enhance the overall ecosystem for Zalando and its partners. Their innovations enable merchants to manage inventory, integrate platforms and comply with tax regulations, fostering a scalable and user-friendly logistics network.

The teams collaborate with other hubs and Berlin by integrating their tools and services into the broader ZEOS ecosystem, such as through the API gateway and shared portals. This ensures a consistent logistics and retailer support experience across all operational hubs.

Our Working Environment
Stockholm is famous for its New Nordic cuisine and the restaurant scene is constantly evolving. During the monthly 'Fine Dine' lunches, the Stockholm team likes to explore new places together and have a chance to socialise. Another fun activity is the monthly board game night that takes place after work. This offers a good opportunity to have some fun, socialise outside of working hours and bring people from different teams closer together.

The United Spaces Waterfront building also offers themed days and special events such as After Ski or Italian Evenings. By creating an atmosphere of fun and enthusiasm through thoughtful decorations and activities, the team of the building sets the tone and gets fully involved. These events not only provide opportunities for relaxation and socialising, but also contribute to a creative and inspiring working environment that encourages collaboration and networking. Participating in these themed events is truly a highlight and a great opportunity to build team spirit and community within the co-working community.