German fashion brand Zalando is expanding its pre-owned category to include children’s fashion. 

The move means parents in 14 European markets can now shop for “quality-checked, second-hand kids’ clothing,” and trade in outgrown items for Zalando credit, according to the ecommerce retailer. 

The launch supports the evolution of Zalando’s kids category into a “holistic family destination, serving parents and caregivers from their child’s infancy through to the teenage years,” the business said.

The offer works on a C2B2C model, enabling customers to buy like-new products and sell back children’s clothing to the company directly. 

Shoppers can trade in like-new or “gently worn” kids’ clothes bought on Zalando for a gift voucher valid for any future purchase, including pre-owned. 

The retailer’s in-house team quality-checks each product before listing it to ensure that “good-as-new products meet high quality standards”.

The move comes as sales of Zalando’s adult pre-owned fashion have doubled in recent years.

Zalando said the expansion was also a direct response to how modern families shopped, with over 40 per cent of its orders comprising mixed baskets in 2025, where customers bought pre-owned items alongside new fashion or beauty products in a single checkout.

The new pre-owned childrenswear offer is available immediately in Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Spain and Sweden.

Zalando director of pre-owned Alice Marshall said: “With our pre-owned category, we are removing the friction often associated with second-hand shopping. 

“Customers can shop for a premium pre-owned winter coat and a new pair of sneakers in one go, with the confidence that every piece has been hand-inspected for quality. 

“And they can easily and conveniently sell clothes back to Zalando. 

“By expanding into children’s secondhand clothing and accessories, we bring the unmatched convenience of buying and selling pre-owned fashion to the whole family.”

Zalando commercial director kids Veronika Moles added: “Our kids & family customers are among our most loyal and frequent shoppers. 

“They are looking for quality, trust, and ease. We are truly addressing a customer pain point by helping parents declutter as children outgrow their clothes so quickly. 

“We also know that time is really scarce for parents, so we support them by letting them cover all of their needs in one destination: they can now shop for new and pre-owned, adult and children’s fashion and lifestyle products in one place.”

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