I may not be a fashion guru, but when it comes to shopping I know my stuff, and when it comes to Zara, I am THE expert! My romance of a lifetime with Zara started from a very young age. Being a Spaniard, Zara has been present in my life since I could say shopping and I plan to keep it this way for a very long time! Some of my friends think I’m a little obsessed, and they are probably right. But, as long as it doesn’t wipe out my bank account, who cares? At least I look good thanks to my ‘hobby!’
Zara may be one of the world’s top fashion retailers nowadays, but its origins are actually very humble. It all started with one man, Amancio Ortega Gaona. Ortega worked in clothing stores from a young age, and after many years in the industry he eventually decided to open his own business in 1963. After the success of his first shop, GOA, he opened the first Zara shop in 1975 in La Coruña, a town in the north of Spain. The rest is history; the success of Zara encouraged Ortega to open shops all over Spain and eventually the rest of the world. Zara’s first overseas shop was opened in Oporto (Portugal) in 1988.
In 1985, Ortega decided to found Inditex, Zara’s parent company, to manage the expanding business. Although Zara is the brand that started everything, Inditex now own 8 different brands: Zara Home, Massimo Dutti, Bershka, Pull and Bear, Stradivarius, Oysho and Uterquë. Inditex basically own the Spanish high street. Most of these brands are unknown in the U.K, but at the rate Inditex is growing I am sure you will all start to see all of these brands in the British high street very soon. Some of them have already opened in London. Inditex have now become the leading fashion retailer in the world, with a presence in over 70 countries, and they’re reign is still spreading. Despite all of the brands they own, Zara remains the pick of the pack; its sales constitute 64.6% of Inditex’s profits.
So, what’s the secret of their success? Why is ‘Zara fever’ taking over the world?
Zara’s fashion is very diverse and there’s always something for everyone in their collection. Whether you like simple clothes, you’re a rock chick, you like the latest trends or have a hippie style, Zara will have something for you. Furthermore, unlike other fashion retailers, Zara is continuously bringing new clothes to their stores. You may not have noticed this, but some of their products don’t last very long. I saw an amazing dress in Zara last August, when the Autumn/Winter collection had just come out. I really wanted it but I decided to wait until it was a little colder. Bad move. In just three weeks the dress was nowhere to be seen, not even in the online shop. Although disappointed, I have learnt my lesson: if you want it, buy it because chances are it won’t be there when you come back!
|
Zara’s first eco-shop opened in 2010 in Rome
|
This is how they keep people’s interest. By constantly changing their products, they get people to come to the shop more often and to buy the products at full price. Brilliant. But how can they manage to constantly create new trends and fashions? It’s all due to the structure of the company. Inditex design, produce and distribute their products, which makes the whole process incredibly fast. Inditex assure that they can have a new product in store just two weeks after it’s been designed. Their efficiency allows them to keep up with fashion all year round. They can even spot all of the latest trends in the world of haute couture and have similar designs in their shops before the luxury brands! Impressive!
If this wasn’t good enough, in addition to all of this, Inditex are environmentally friendly. They have just published a 5 year plan where they state their intention to reduce their carbon footprint. They have devised an ‘eco-shop’ scheme to reduce the energy consumption in all shops by 30%. All Inditex stores opened since 2010 are eco-friendly, and they plan to refurbish all of the other shops to reduce their damaging effect on the environment.
So, Zara may not be the most affordable brand for us students, but they definitely sell good quality clothes for a decent price. Don’t get me wrong, I am a big fan of Primark, but as they say: your first love never dies, and that for me is Zara.
These are some of my favourites this season:
Frilled Ankle Boot 59,99 GBP Dress with dotted Swiss neckline 22,99 GBP
Copper-speckled scarf 19,99 GBP Raglan sleeve sweater 25,99 GBP