A few days after completing the takeover by online retailer Zalando SE, the Hamburg e-commerce group About You Holding SE presented its results for the first quarter of the 2025/26 financial year. On Tuesday, the company announced growth in sales and operating profit as expected.
“The results were supported by the targeted implementation of the strategic initiatives of the Group, the improving market environment and strict operational cost control,” said About You in a message.
In the first quarter, sales increase by six percent
In the months of March to May, the group sales were therefore 549.4 million euros. This corresponded to an increase of 6.0 percent compared to the previous year.
According to its own statements, the company benefited from the “offline-to-online channel shift” and “good weather conditions”, which would have led to a “positive start to the spring/summer season 2025”. A “essential driver” of sales growth was also that the number of active people announced: 8.4 percent in the inside to 13.3 million, according to a statement.
Measures for cost control ensure a strong improvement in results
Although the gross margin fell from 43.2 to 42.2 percent due to one -off effects and price reductions, the group was able to significantly increase its result from interest, taxes and depreciation (EBITDA). It reached a height of 16.3 million euros and thus exceeded the level of the previous year’s quarter by 79.1 percent.
Adjusted for special effects, the EBITDA increased by 53.9 percent to 23.2 million euros. The adjusted EBITDA margin grew from 2.9 to 4.2 percent. The clear improvement resulted in “strict operational cost control” and “positive scale effects in the fulfillment and administrative costs”, the company said. With these factors, an increase in marketing editions was more than compensated for.
Management confirms the annual forecasts
In view of the available figures and a “solid start” in the second quarter, management held on to its annual forecasts. For 2025/26, it continues to expect a “moderate” sales growth and “a strong increase in the adjusted EBITDA compared to the previous year”.