{ "format": "hyperize/v1", "@id": "https://www.hyperize.ai/en/dax40-index/brands/zalando.json", "type": "BrandScore", "pageType": "BrandScore", "releaseState": "pilot_probe", "releaseLabel": "Pilot Probe", "title": "Zalando — Pilot Probe (Single-Task Observation, Wave Q2 2026)", "pilotProbe": { "status": "pilot_probe", "rationale": "Single-task observation under a narrower provider track than a full BrandScore. The Agent Success Score is computed but should be read as an early signal, not a fully-qualified score.", "promotionCriteria": "Confidence promotes to B (and releaseState to brand_score) when the next wave adds a second task and the fourth provider on the Discoverability track.", "nextWave": "WAVE-Q3-2026" }, "hook": { "en": "Ask an agent to add a Nike Air Max 90 in size 43 to a bag on Zalando, and discovery works but completion does not. The ceiling lane confirms the variant at €134.95 and reaches a live cart URL, but that depends on an already-valid session. A plain HTTP fetch returns an Akamai-gated shell, and every standard browser run failed to add the variant publicly. The direct /checkout URL returns a 'This page has gone out of style' dead-end without a live bag.", "de": "Bittet man einen Agenten, einen Nike Air Max 90 in Größe 43 auf Zalando in den Warenkorb zu legen, funktioniert die Discovery, der Abschluss aber nicht. Der Referenz-Lauf bestätigt die Variante zu 134,95 Euro und erreicht eine Live-Cart-URL, das hängt aber von einer bereits gültigen Session ab. Ein einfacher HTTP-Abruf liefert eine Akamai-gegatete Shell, und jeder Standard-Browser-Lauf scheiterte daran, die Variante öffentlich hinzuzufügen. Die direkte /checkout-URL liefert eine 'This page has gone out of style'-Sackgasse ohne lebende Bag." }, "summary": { "en": "Discovery is there, completion is not: HTTP hits an Akamai shell, the browser cannot reach an exact-variant bag publicly, and /checkout is session-gated.", "de": "Die Discovery ist da, der Abschluss nicht: HTTP stößt auf eine Akamai-Shell, der Browser kann die exakte Variante öffentlich nicht in die Bag legen, und /checkout ist session-gegated." }, "brandName": "Zalando", "legalEntity": "Zalando SE", "daxTicker": "ZAL", "sector": "consumer_retail", "sectorLabel": "Consumer & Retail", "inLanguage": "en", "datePublished": "2026-05-18", "dateModified": "2026-05-23", "nextReview": "2026-09-30", "confidence": "D", "evidenceTier": "proprietary", "wave": "WAVE-Q2-2026-W3-SLOW", "url": "https://www.hyperize.ai/en/dax40-index/brands/zalando", "alternateLanguage": { "de": "https://www.hyperize.ai/de/dax40-index/brands/zalando" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://www.hyperize.ai/en/dax40-index", "name": "DAX 40 Agent Success Index" }, "lanes": [ { "id": "commerce", "name": "Commerce", "measured": true }, { "id": "talent", "name": "Talent", "measured": false }, { "id": "aftersales", "name": "After-sales", "measured": false }, { "id": "procurement", "name": "Procurement", "measured": false }, { "id": "investor_relations", "name": "Investor Relations", "measured": false }, { "id": "press", "name": "Press", "measured": false } ], "commercialLane": { "visibility": { "question": "Will an agent find and recommend the brand?", "score": 43.26, "dimension": "Discoverability (D)", "methodVersion": "gate1/v1.1", "sampleSize": 18, "providers": [ "openai", "perplexity", "anthropic" ], "provenance": "measured" }, "usability": { "question": "Once an agent arrives — how far does it get toward the deal?", "score": 28, "scoreNote": "Derived from the access profile below + close state (usability-derivation/v1). NOT a hand-averaged number — a reproducible summary of observed agent behaviour.", "accessProfile": [ { "agentClass": "text", "outcome": "blocked" }, { "agentClass": "search", "outcome": "pending" }, { "agentClass": "code", "outcome": "blocked" }, { "agentClass": "browser", "outcome": "blocked" }, { "agentClass": "full_automation", "outcome": "blocked" } ], "blockedClasses": [ "text", "code", "browser", "full_automation" ], "passClasses": [], "closeState": "cart_ready", "closeStateNote": "Reaches a working cart with no login gate — the transaction path is real, not just order-ready. Final payment is a separate step.", "methodVersion": "fleet/measured", "provenance": "measured" }, "evidence": { "score": 70, "basis": "estimate — cross-method ground-truth consistency, not a separate measured run", "note": "A confidence layer on the two axes above, not a third sales axis." } }, "score": { "compositeForIndexRanking": { "value": 35.25, "scale100": 35.25, "scale10": 3.5, "status": "computed", "formula": "Agent Success Score = (AI Visibility × 0.20) + (AI Usability × 0.70) + (Evidence × 0.10)", "methodVersion": "ars-methodology/v1.1", "usabilityDerivation": "usability-derivation/v1", "role": "index-ranking", "note": "Weighted composite, used for ranking the index. Read the two commercialLane axes (visibility + usability) for the standalone verdict — this single number blends them and is not the headline." }, "dimensions": { "aiVisibility": { "name": "AI Visibility (Discoverability)", "weight": 0.2, "value": 43.26, "methodVersion": "gate1/v1.1", "sampleSize": 18, "providers": [ "openai", "perplexity", "anthropic" ], "queryVariants": 3, "runsPerVariant": 2, "taskCount": 1 }, "aiUsability": { "name": "AI Usability (reach + completion)", "weight": 0.7, "value": 28, "derivation": "usability-derivation/v1", "basis": "derived from the access profile (per-class outcomes) + close state" }, "evidence": { "name": "Evidence", "weight": 0.1, "value": 70, "methodVersion": "estimate/v1" } } }, "thirdPartyInterception": { "classification": "structural", "classificationLabel": "Structural", "directShare": 0.33, "intermediaryShare": 0.61, "intermediaryCaptureExamples": [ "Amazon", "About You", "Nike.de", "Foot Locker", "Snipes" ], "narrative": { "en": "Across the 18 Gate-1 responses, 61% routed the Air Max 90 question through a competing multi-brand surface (Amazon in 9, About You in 8, Nike.de in 6, Nike.com in 5, Foot Locker in 3, Snipes in 3); Zalando appeared in 6 of 18 (33%). Zalando is itself a marketplace-retailer hybrid, so the displacing peers are OTHER multi-brand surfaces, not Nike-as-a-brand. The Air Max 90 buy intent is fragmented across half a dozen surfaces, with Zalando one option among several.", "de": "Über die 18 Gate-1-Antworten leiteten 61% die Air-Max-90-Frage über eine konkurrierende Multi-Brand-Surface (Amazon in 9, About You in 8, Nike.de in 6, Nike.com in 5, Foot Locker in 3, Snipes in 3); Zalando tauchte in 6 von 18 (33%) auf. Zalando ist selbst ein Marktplatz-Händler-Hybrid, die verdrängenden Peers sind also ANDERE Multi-Brand-Surfaces, nicht Nike-als-Marke. Der Air-Max-90-Kaufintent ist über ein halbes Dutzend Surfaces fragmentiert, Zalando eine Option unter mehreren." } }, "bottleneck": { "type": "usability", "classification": { "en": "Usability", "de": "Usability" }, "classificationNote": { "en": "Found, but the surface stalls the agent.", "de": "Gefunden, aber die Surface stoppt den Agenten." }, "sentence": { "en": "Discovery is there, completion is not: HTTP hits an Akamai shell, the browser cannot reach an exact-variant bag publicly, and /checkout is session-gated.", "de": "Die Discovery ist da, der Abschluss nicht: HTTP stößt auf eine Akamai-Shell, der Browser kann die exakte Variante öffentlich nicht in die Bag legen, und /checkout ist session-gegated." }, "executiveSummary": { "en": "Discoverable-but-not-completable. None of the four publicly-testable agent classes (HTTP, coding, standard browser, autonomous) reach the size-43 add-to-bag state from a cold start. The reference lane confirms the cart URL at €134.95 only because it was given a pre-warmed session, which is provenance evidence, not a real public-agent reach. Standard browser runs 0/3; direct /checkout returns 'This page has gone out of style' without a live bag. The G6 count is 1/5 if the session-warmed reference lane counts as a reach, 0/4 if only cold-start agent classes count. Either way, below the G6 threshold — sub-pilot. Zalando ships with full two-axis dimensions for the record (AI Visibility 43.26, AI Usability low) under confidence D.", "de": "Auffindbar-aber-nicht-abschließbar. Keine der vier öffentlich testbaren Agentenklassen (HTTP, Coding, Standard-Browser, autonom) erreicht den Größe-43-Add-to-Bag-Zustand aus einem Kaltstart. Der Referenz-Lauf bestätigt die Cart-URL zu 134,95 Euro nur mit einer vorgewärmten Session, das ist Provenance-Evidenz, kein realer öffentlicher Agenten-Erreich. Standard-Browser-Läufe 0/3; direktes /checkout liefert 'This page has gone out of style' ohne lebende Bag. Die G6-Zählung ist 1/5 wenn der session-vorgewärmte Referenz-Lauf als Erreich gilt, 0/4 wenn nur Kaltstart-Agentenklassen zählen. So oder so unter der G6-Schwelle — Sub-Pilot. Zalando wird mit vollständigen Zwei-Achsen-Dimensionen für den Datenstand veröffentlicht (AI Visibility 43.26, AI Usability niedrig) unter Confidence D." } }, "testNarrative": { "verdict": { "en": "Discoverable, not completable. Sub-pilot finding, the session gate is the wall.", "de": "Auffindbar, nicht abschließbar. Sub-Pilot-Befund, das Session-Gate ist die Wand." }, "narrative": { "en": "We asked five kinds of AI agent to add a Nike Air Max 90 in size 43 to a bag on Zalando. The reference lane reached the live cart URL with the variant at €134.95, but that state depended on a pre-existing session. A plain HTTP fetch returned an Akamai-gated 403 shell with no usable product-detail HTML for Phase 2. The coding agent did not have a stable, unauthenticated product-data surface from the approved entry URL. All three standard browser runs failed to achieve a validated size-43 add-to-bag state. The autonomous agent attempted public /checkout continuation and observed a session-dependent dead-end at /checkout returning the 'This page has gone out of style' page. One of five agent classes reached the close state; per G6 this is sub-pilot.", "de": "Wir haben fünf Typen von KI-Agenten geschickt, um einen Nike Air Max 90 in Größe 43 auf Zalando in die Bag zu legen. Der Referenz-Lauf erreichte die Live-Cart-URL mit der Variante zu 134,95 Euro, das hing aber von einer vorhandenen Session ab. Ein einfacher HTTP-Abruf lieferte eine Akamai-gegatete 403-Shell ohne brauchbare Produktdetail-HTML für Phase 2. Der Coding-Agent hatte keine stabile, unauthentifizierte Produkt-Daten-Surface von der genehmigten Einstiegs-URL. Alle drei Standard-Browser-Läufe scheiterten daran, einen validierten Größe-43-Add-to-Bag-Zustand zu erreichen. Der autonome Agent versuchte den öffentlichen /checkout-Fortgang und beobachtete eine session-abhängige Sackgasse bei /checkout mit der 'This page has gone out of style'-Seite. Eine von fünf Agentenklassen erreichte den Close-State; per G6 ist das Sub-Pilot." }, "scopeShift": null, "agentMatrix": [ { "type": "text", "status": "blocked", "note": "HTTP returned Akamai-gated 403 shell; no exact product, size, price, or cart state in HTML" }, { "type": "search", "status": "pending", "note": "LLM search runs pending Cody Gate-1 batch" }, { "type": "code", "status": "blocked", "note": "No stable unauthenticated product-data surface; failure is access, not product unavailability" }, { "type": "browser", "status": "blocked", "note": "0/3 standard browser runs; discoverable-but-not-completable on the size-43 variant" }, { "type": "full_automation", "status": "blocked", "note": "Direct /checkout returned 'This page has gone out of style' without a live bag; no checkout form or login prompt reached" } ] }, "fairnessDeclaration": { "reviewPassed": false, "note": "Wave 3 Slow Lane (a fleet wave Consumer Retail, sub-pilot). Single measured task (Nike Air Max 90 size 43 add-to-bag, cart_ready close state). The session-warmed reference (ceiling) lane reached the cart at €134.95, but HTTP / coding / all three standard browser runs / autonomous all fail from a cold start. G6 count is 1/5 with ceiling as a reach, 0/4 if ceiling is treated as provenance evidence only — below the G6 threshold either way, sub-pilot. AI Visibility 43.26 (18/18 valid datapoints across 3 providers); AI Usability low (derived from the cold-start access profile, not the session-warmed reference). Channel split grounded via channel-derive.py (competing multi-brand surfaces in 11/18, Zalando own-domain in 6/18). The page carries the Pilot probe chip and noindex via confidence=D — measured, but below the G6 threshold for a normal scored brand.", "methodologyUrl": "https://www.hyperize.ai/en/methodology/task-selection", "sectorGridRef": null }, "activeTasks": [ { "title": { "en": "Zalando — Nike Air Max 90 size 43 (bag) — sub-pilot probe", "de": "Zalando — Nike Air Max 90 Größe 43 (Bag) — Sub-Pilot-Probe" }, "closeState": "cart_ready", "intermediaryMode": "structural", "businessRelevance": null, "difficultyBand": null, "engpass": { "en": "Ceiling-only access depends on a pre-warmed session; HTTP returns Akamai-gated shell; coding has no stable product-data surface; browser 0/3 on the size-43 variant; /checkout returns a 'gone out of style' dead-end without a live bag. Sub-pilot per G6 (1/5).", "de": "Referenz-Lauf-Zugang hängt von vorgewärmter Session ab; HTTP liefert Akamai-Shell; Coding hat keine stabile Produkt-Daten-Surface; Browser 0/3 auf der Größe-43-Variante; /checkout liefert 'gone out of style'-Sackgasse ohne lebende Bag. Sub-Pilot per G6 (1/5)." } } ], "scoreHistory": [ { "date": "2026-05-23", "quarter": "Q2 2026", "waveId": "WAVE-Q2-2026-W3-SLOW", "protocolVersion": "ars-methodology/v1.1", "summary": "First v3 measurement. Discoverable-but-not-completable finding: the session-warmed reference (ceiling) lane reached the cart at €134.95, but the four cold-start agent classes (HTTP / coding / standard browser / autonomous) all fail. Direct /checkout returns the 'This page has gone out of style' page without a live bag. G6 count is 1/5 with ceiling counted as a reach, 0/4 if it is treated as provenance evidence only — below the G6 threshold either way. AI Visibility 43.26 (18/18 valid datapoints, 3 providers, DE). Shipped with confidence D (Pilot probe chip + noindex)." } ], "methodology": { "formula": "Agent Success Score = (AI Visibility × 0.20) + (AI Usability × 0.70) + (Evidence × 0.10)", "usabilityDerivation": "usability-derivation/v1", "protocolVersion": "ars-methodology/v1.1", "taskSelection": "https://www.hyperize.ai/en/methodology/task-selection", "agentSurface": "https://www.hyperize.ai/en/methodology", "dimensions": { "aiVisibility": "AI Visibility (Discoverability) — audit-pipeline-derived. 3–4 providers × 3 query variants × 2 runs.", "aiUsability": "AI Usability — derived from the per-class access profile (which agent classes reach the close state) modulated by close-state depth. The profile is the truth; the score is a reproducible summary, not a hand-rating.", "evidence": "Evidence — cross-method ground-truth consistency. A confidence layer, not a sales axis." } }, "consequenceClose": { "archetype": "actionability", "archetypeLabel": { "en": "actionability", "de": "Actionability" }, "source": "brand", "diagnosis": { "en": "Zalando is discoverable, not completable, for the agent classes we measured. The session gate is the wall: only the reference lane reached the cart, and only because the session was pre-warmed. For an agent arriving fresh, the size-43 add-to-bag path is brittle in the browser and unreachable via HTTP or coding paths. The exact-variant completion is the deal-breaker, not discovery.", "de": "Zalando ist auffindbar, nicht abschließbar für die gemessenen Agentenklassen. Das Session-Gate ist die Wand: nur der Referenz-Lauf erreichte den Warenkorb, und das nur, weil die Session vorgewärmt war. Für einen Agenten, der frisch ankommt, ist der Größe-43-Add-to-Bag-Pfad im Browser brüchig und über HTTP oder Coding unerreichbar. Die exakte Varianten-Vervollständigung ist der Deal-Breaker, nicht die Discovery." }, "evidence": { "en": "Discovery is there, completion is not: HTTP hits an Akamai shell, the browser cannot reach an exact-variant bag publicly, and /checkout is session-gated.", "de": "Die Discovery ist da, der Abschluss nicht: HTTP stößt auf eine Akamai-Shell, der Browser kann die exakte Variante öffentlich nicht in die Bag legen, und /checkout ist session-gegated." }, "question": { "en": "The question this raises: where would deeper Action-pathway measurement — handoff stability, deep-link routing, structured booking endpoints — sharpen the read?", "de": "Die Frage daraus: Wo würde tiefere Action-Pfad-Messung — Handoff-Stabilität, Deep-Link-Routing, strukturierte Booking-Endpunkte — die Lesart schärfen?" }, "confidenceHedge": { "en": "Based on the current pilot slate, this read is directional.", "de": "Basierend auf dem aktuellen Pilot-Slate ist diese Lesart direktional." }, "closes": { "en": "Session-free completion mechanics, not catalog repair. An agent-callable variant-selection contract that holds without a pre-warmed bag, a /checkout endpoint that accepts a freshly-built cart from an authenticated agent, and citeable evidence that the buy path is reproducible from a cold start. Until that holds, discoverability without completion is the published story.", "de": "Session-freie Abschluss-Mechanik, keine Katalog-Reparatur. Ein agent-rufbarer Varianten-Auswahl-Vertrag, der ohne vorgewärmte Bag hält, ein /checkout-Endpunkt, der einen frisch aufgebauten Warenkorb von einem authentifizierten Agenten annimmt, und zitierbare Evidenz, dass der Kaufpfad aus einem Kaltstart reproduzierbar ist. Bis das hält, ist Auffindbarkeit ohne Abschluss die veröffentlichte Story." }, "proof": { "en": "The proof is not more listings. It is the same Air Max 90 size-43 add-to-bag completing from at least three of five agent classes from a cold session start, re-measured.", "de": "Der Beweis ist nicht mehr Listings. Es ist derselbe Air-Max-90-Größe-43-Add-to-Bag, abschließend von mindestens drei von fünf Agentenklassen aus einem Kaltstart, neu gemessen." }, "ctas": [ { "weight": "primary", "eyebrow": "Audit · €1,900", "title": { "en": "Commission an audit.", "de": "Audit beauftragen." }, "body": { "en": "Where the BrandScore opens the question, an audit closes it. An interpretive engagement on your full surface, scored under the same methodology.", "de": "Wo die BrandScore die Frage öffnet, schließt sie ein Audit. Ein interpretatives Engagement auf der vollen Surface, gemessen unter derselben Methodologie." }, "cta": { "en": "Get the audit", "de": "Audit anfragen" }, "href": "mailto:hello@hyperize.ai?subject=Audit%20%C2%B7%20Zalando" }, { "weight": "secondary", "eyebrow": "Founding · €4,500", "title": { "en": "Found with us.", "de": "Founding Program." }, "body": { "en": "Strategic partnership for brands building agent success as a long-term capability, not a one-off engagement.", "de": "Strategische Partnerschaft für Marken, die Agent-Success als langfristige Capability aufbauen — nicht als Einmal-Engagement." }, "cta": { "en": "Apply", "de": "Bewerben" }, "href": "mailto:hello@hyperize.ai?subject=Founding%20Program%20%C2%B7%20Zalando" }, { "weight": "secondary", "eyebrow": "Snapshot", "title": { "en": "Audit an adjacent property.", "de": "Eine angrenzende Property messen." }, "body": { "en": "The BrandScore covers the primary domain. Get the same methodology applied to an adjacent property: a country site, a sub-brand, a category beyond the DAX-40 slate.", "de": "Die BrandScore deckt die primäre Domain ab. Die gleiche Methodologie für eine angrenzende Property: eine Länderseite, eine Sub-Brand, eine Kategorie außerhalb des DAX-40-Slates." }, "cta": { "en": "Get a Snapshot", "de": "Snapshot anfragen" }, "href": "mailto:hello@hyperize.ai?subject=Snapshot%20%C2%B7%20adjacent%20property%20for%20Zalando" } ] }, "sources": [ { "id": "S1", "label": "Gate-1 audit run · Zalando Wave Q2 2026", "accessedAt": "2026-05-23", "supports": [ "AI Visibility score 43.26 (18/18 valid datapoints across 3 providers)" ], "url": null, "kind": "internal", "internalLabel": "Internal · Hyperize audit pipeline" }, { "id": "S2", "label": "Hyperize fleet · a fleet wave Consumer Retail (access profile)", "accessedAt": "2026-05-23", "supports": [ "discoverable-but-not-completable finding (ceiling session-warmed reach; all other classes fail)", "the close state attempted (cart_ready) and the dead-end (no_public_checkout_without_live_bag_session)", "Five-Agents-Five-Answers passing 1/5, sub_pilot true" ], "url": null, "kind": "internal", "internalLabel": "Internal · Hyperize fleet (Giorgio)" }, { "id": "S3", "label": "Task Selection Doctrine", "accessedAt": "2026-05-23", "supports": [ "fairness declaration", "sub-pilot doctrine (G6)" ], "url": "https://www.hyperize.ai/en/methodology/task-selection", "kind": "public", "internalLabel": null } ], "crossLinks": { "index": "https://www.hyperize.ai/en/dax40-index", "taskSelection": "https://www.hyperize.ai/en/methodology/task-selection", "agentSurface": "https://www.hyperize.ai/en/methodology", "foundingProgram": "https://www.hyperize.ai/en/founding-program" }, "scope": { "publishes": [ "Brand identity (name, legal entity, DAX ticker, sector)", "Composite (index-ranking) + AI Visibility + AI Usability (as access profile + derived score) + Evidence, with weights", "Per-agent-class access profile (which agent classes reach the close state)", "Third-Party Interception classification, direct/intermediary share, narrative", "Hyperize-selected task titles, close state, intermediary mode, task score, bottleneck sentence", "Measurement timeline (date, wave, protocol version, summary)", "Sources with public URLs or internal-evidence pointers", "Confidence grade + Evidence tier + Next review date", "Bottleneck classification (Discovery / Interception / Usability / Multi-axis / No dominant gap)", "Bottleneck archetype + consequence-claim diagnosis + operator question", "Test narrative (verdict, narrative, agent matrix, scope shift) — scene-level prose, no prompts or formulas" ], "doesNotPublish": [ "Task identifiers (internal)", "Raw and derived measurement artifact paths (internal repos)", "Per-phase outcome tables (ceiling / http / coding / browser_standard / act)", "Individual prompts and provider-specific transcripts", "Scoring derivation steps below the dimension level", "Sector task grid file references when still draft" ] } }