Zara
Zara is the flagship brand of the Spanish fashion manufacturer and retailer Inditex, or Industria
de Diseño Textil. Zara offers international fashion and distributes men’s, women’s and
children’s clothes tagged at medium to low prices, with quality being medium to high. At present,
Zara has 1,129 stores worldwide and is located in 68 countries, including Sweden.24
They opened their first store in Stockholm in 2003.25 Now, in the beginning of 2008, there are
four Zara stores in Stockholm.
Zara has gained attention in business academia for its successful implementation of market
orientation. The whole business model of Inditex is characterised by a high degree of vertical
integration and very short lead times. Zara even claims not to have a need for a formal marketing
department, as they use market orientation as a marketing strategy.26
Nor does Zara exhibit their garments at the catwalk; the new products are introduced directly
in the stores. Instead, Inditex makes big investments in prime locations and its store layouts as
the company wants all their stores to be attractive on the outside and the inside. The company
image is projected in the carefully designed storefronts. All the stores are located in prime
locations in big city districts. The average store size is 1,376 square meters and makeovers of
old stores are done every 3-4 years.27
The design of Zara’s fashion items is not original, but influenced by ready-to-wear fashion
shows in Paris, New York, London, and Milan, luxury brand catalogues, popular culture and
street fashion. The planning of the design of every new collection starts only nine months
24 The Zara Concept at Inditex’ website n.d.
25 Nilsson, Forén & Carlsvi 2004
26 Mazaira, ...