Zara the high street Spanish brand of clothes, and the spearhead of Inditex, the Spanish fashion group which is the largest of its kind in Europe and one of the biggest it the world, is going to sell its clothes online from winter 2010 initially in major European countries followed by worldwide Zara markets.
Inditex opened 166 more outlets mainly in the rapidly growing Chinese and Indian markets and the sales 7.0 percent to 4.86 billion euros in the last six months.
The move online is seen has further strengthening its global leadership and is in accordance with its 'Outside-In' approach. Developing and managing customer expectations has always been high on the Zara agenda however technology is very much seen as a compliment to its business model, rather than a critical element. Recent figures suggest that more than 80% of their customer base in the U.S. and Europe are 'internet savvy' so now is the time to make the move to also dominate the online space.
Zara do not have it all their own way - rivals Sweden’s H&M (also an Outside-In company), and Gap Inc. of the US are persuing the leaders aggressively, so upping the game is appropriate. After all customers are a fickle bunch and the need to further develop the proposition in the shopping malls and online is pressing.
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