Leading with passion: A day in the life of 4 Outlet by Zalando Store Manager
Have you ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes at our Outlet By Zalando stores? What does it take to guide these retail spaces toward success? The answer lies with our store managers. From driving commercial strategies and tracking KPIs to fostering diverse teams and jumping onto the sales floor themselves, their days are filled with passion, variety and leadership.
To give you an inside look into the role, we sat down with four store managers from across our German locations - Mimoun from Düsseldorf, Heike from Konstanz, Freddy from Ulm and David from Leipzig - to find out what makes managing an Outlet by Zalando store so rewarding.
by Peter Török, Employer Branding Manager
1. Striking the perfect strategic & hands-on balance
Originally from Heidelberg, Freddy joined the Ulm Outlet team as Store Manager in June 2022. For him, the ultimate beauty of the job lies in its dual nature. A typical day is split between careful planning (like managing staff schedules or administrative tasks during opening and closing hours) and the active store hours. At any moment, the walkie-talkie might buzz requesting a backup checkout, and Freddy is right there to help out. His leadership philosophy? “Only those who lead by example will be followed. Always be your team's biggest fan.”
2. Embracing the vibrant community and regional sparkle
Nestled beautifully between Lake Constance (Bodensee), the historic old town and the Swiss border, the Konstanz Outlet occupies around 1,100 square metres of prime shopping space. Managing this unique location means dealing with an incredibly diverse and alternating customer base. For Heike, building a local community goes hand-in-hand with cultivating a safe space internally. Her team regularly celebrates milestones together, whether it’s a summer boat trip on the lake or a casual round of minigolf after hours.
3. Setting new standards for the customer experience
Over in our Leipzig Outlet, David is focused on ensuring the physical retail space mirrors the premier shopping experience Zalando is famous for online. David focuses heavily on how the store sets and delivers an environment where customers feel inspired to browse, discover and leave with a smile and a signature Zalando bag! Through efficient leadership, David helps his team seamlessly transition hundreds of new arrivals onto the sales floor daily, making sure the store always feels fresh and organised.
4. Cultivating team evolution and agility
In the fashion-forward city of Düsseldorf, Mimoun leads one of our highly active and urban outlets. In such a high-traffic location, adaptation and team development are key. Mimoun’s day-to-day focuses heavily on empowering his people and helping junior talent scale up. Mimoun ensures that his team operates with open mindsets, a willingness to learn new processes and mutual trust. By prioritising strong communication, he helps turn the daily logistical challenges of a busy metropolitan outlet into shared team successes.
Why choose the Store Manager path at Zalando?
While our managers span across different cities and manage distinct storefronts, their advice to future leadership talent is aligned:
- Diversity is our strength: Our outlets bring together team members from all walks of life. As Freddy points out, “Diversity is something you can only benefit from... It’s not about where you come from, but where we want to go together.”
- A true hands-on culture: If you love sitting at a desk all day, this isn't the role for you. Our managers lead from the front lines, diving right into the heart of the action alongside their staff.
- Room to grow: From internal training to regional career advancement, managing an Outlet by Zalando means constantly learning how to optimise retail processes, evaluate KPIs and grow as an empathetic leader.
Are you ready to lead with passion, support a dynamic team and shape the future of smart shopping? Explore our open Store Manager and Assistant Store Manager positions in our Outlet Stores across Germany today! Join the Team Outlet.