Zara

Zara is one of the world's largest fashion companies. It is part of the Inditex group, one of the world's largest distribution groups.

Business in Russia

2023: Plan to open stores in Russia under the Maag brand

In January 2023, it became known that Zara stores will open in Russia under the Maag brand in the spring of 2023 under the management of Dagher Group.

Subsequently, the New Fashion company began to develop business in Russia on the site of Zara stores. Read more here.

2022

Transfer of fashion stores to New fashion brand run by Lebanese Dagher Group franchisee with buyback option

Zara stores will remain in Russia under the name "New fashion" (New fashion). Not all collections of the brand will be present in stores. A total of four stores are planned to open. The Russian office will continue to work, but already under the leadership of the Lebanese businessman Dagher Group.

The first several hundred Zara stores under the new management will be opened in Russia in early spring 2023 reported in the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Russia. It is noted that the company reserves the right to repurchase shares.

Discussion of sale of rental rights of stores in Russia to Lebanese Azadea

On October 20, 2022, it became known that the Inditex group was discussing the possibility of selling the rental rights of its ready-made clothing stores in Russia to the Lebanese group Azadea, the Cronica Global electronic newspaper.

Zara plans to restore trading activities in Russia

Zara plans to restore trading activities in Russia, a representative of Zara CIS said on October 18, 2022.

Refusal to assign leases

In August 2022, it became known that the H&M and Zara chains refuse to assign lease agreements. Leading shopping centers in Moscow began to refuse to cooperate with Inditex. For example, Afimall City has already terminated the lease agreement with a foreign brand ahead of schedule. As one of the brokers noted, the Inditex family of brands invites its partners to prolong cooperation until March 2023. Until that moment, the company's trade in the shopping center will be on pause.

2018: Contract for clothing production in Russia

In April 2018, Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry Viktor Yevtukhov announced that Zara had signed a contract for the production of clothing in Russia.

"They have already signed two contracts: for Zara Home and for the production of clothing," Yevtukhov said.

He added that in 2018 Zara plans to sell about a million products produced in Russia.

At the same time, the retailer intends to expand the pool of Russian partners and will soon test Russian enterprises.

"In the near future, specialists will come from the head office, from Spain, and will test our enterprises. We provided a list, they will take what they need, the volume of contacts will increase, "Yevtukhov explained

History

2018: Use of augmented reality in storefronts

On March 15, 2018, clothing chain Zara announced the introduction of augmented reality (AR) for advertising purposes. The innovative use of this technology in a number of stores will allow customers who have installed a special application on a smartphone to "revive" the mannequins displayed in the windows.

By the time of the announcement, the development is being tested, but the company says that from April 18, 120 leading Zara stores around the world will feature augmented reality displays for two weeks. Visitors will only need to bring their smartphone to the sensor in the store or on the window to see the items of clothing they are interested in on photographic models. At the same time, visitors will be able to immediately add the things they like to the cart and make a purchase. In addition, AR ads for other clothing items will be placed on the packaging of goods purchased online.

Zara brought augmented reality to the windows

Zara hopes their initiative will be widely reported on social media as the app allows users to share holographic clothing models with friends on Instagram and Twitter. Thus, Zara and Inditex (the owner of this clothing brand) want to attract buyers in their 20s and 30s, because recently these groups have increasingly preferred to shop in online stores such as Amazon, which reduces sales in the traditional retail chain. In 2018, Inditex reported that the decline in sales and the need to expand its online business, driven by competition with chain stores, led to the Zara brand's profit in 2017 being the lowest in the previous 10 years.

Zara is not the first fashion label to try to introduce augmented reality into retail stores. Gucci has already used interactive display cases with AR elements, and Burberry launched a new feature in its app in September 2017, allowing the user to decorate the environment with patterns and prints of the new collection.^[1]

1963-1986

Rosalia Mera began working in a clothing store at the age of 11. She and her husband, Amancia Ortega, began making clothes on their own in 1963.

In 1975, Rosalia Mera and Amancia Ortega opened the first Zara store.

In 1986, Mera and Ortega divorced, but continued to develop the business together.

Notes