Zara - Spanish success story

Democracy and stylish clothing brand Zara was able to become a viable alternative to expensive and promoted brand. Even the director of the fashion house Louis Vuitton, Daniel Drinks suggested that she will one day "the most innovative and devastating retailer" in the world. A reputable broadcasting company CNN described the Zara brand as a "Spanish success story." If all other clothing stores in Spain, selling products to the same customers three times a year, Zara - at least seventeen times a year.

The history of the brand began in 1975 when Amancio Ortega decided to produce low-cost but high-quality men's jackets. On this occasion, he even brought the family council in the apartment of his older brother. Ortega opened the first store in the city center of La Coruna. There could have been tolerable for the price to purchase a copy of the models of famous European firms. After only a few years already Amancio was not only the owner of the Zara, but also established a number of "daughter" of brands - such as Massimo Dutti, Pull and Bear, Oysho, Uterqüe, Stradivarius and Bershka.

Attractive and affordable

Amancio Ortega

Zara concept is to offer beautiful and functional everyday clothing Youth and buyers from the category of "thirty". Among the loyal fans of the brand are those who wish to wear in each season very fashionable clothes and still willing to settle for a relatively inexpensive wardrobe. In order to constantly dress in Zara, do not have to get a high salary, or be the owner of a successful business. Although it is too wealthy people often choose the clothes, because the democratic prices it demonstrates impeccable quality tailoring.

Unlike most well-known clothing manufacturers who seek to exploit cheap labor in developing countries, Zara mostly use the services of the local labor market in Spain. Provincial town of La Coruna, even jokingly nicknamed "Zarapolisom" because virtually all of its residents work in this company. Only 26% of the products Zara made in other European countries, and 24% - in Asia and Africa.

On the promotions guide fashion brand spends virtually no money, considering that in the case of clothing most effective work "word of mouth". There is a corporate anecdote about how Amancio Ortega dismissed the young manager because he invited the famous movie star to be photographed against the store. The manager, according to Ortega, did not understand for themselves the essence of the concept of Zara.

Instant Fashion

Enterprising Amancio Ortega allowed him to get away from prevailing in the global apparel industry long-running scheme in which the design of the collection before it enters the market took an average of six months. Manufacturers and distributors do not have the opportunity to sell more than two or three collections a year, did not have time to anticipate consumer preferences and as a result often left with unsold goods.

In Zara we have managed to significantly reduce the time from design to clothing are on the market: it is now no more than fifteen days. Ortega then named this format "instant fashion", and its range of shops within a stable updated every two weeks. Delivery days are announced new models "days Z».

In the eighties of the XX century all of its brands Ortega united under the wing of the company Inditex.

The Zara store sold seven product lines represented by both men and women, including the bottom, top and shoes, cosmetics and accessories. The catalogs can be seen and Zara clothes for children. More than 50% of all products the company produces at the beginning of the season for him - everything. At Zara more than a thousand stores in nearly eighty countries around the world, particularly in France, the UK, Germany, Mexico, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, the Philippines, Japan and so on. In Russia, the company opened until just over thirty stores, which is certainly too little for a country: it is only in Spain, significantly below our state in size, there are more than five hundred.

Svetlana Usankova