Zara launches online shopping in China

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Zara’s online store began in September welcoming customers in mainland China. The brand described its move as “the latest milestone in Zara’s e-commerce business expansion into all of the markets in which it operates.” The decision of entering the Chinese market cuts parent company Inditex’ dependence on the Spanish market.

The Spanish firm said that the new Zara website, zara.cn, will offer online shoppers the same full range of merchandise for women, men and kids as that found in its high street stores.

“The site is designed to provide an outstanding user-friendly shopping experience and allow fashion fans to make their purchases from any of the browsers available in countries in which Zara has online shops,” Zara explained in a press release. “Items sold online are priced the same as those found in high street Zara stores, and customers can choose home delivery or have their purchases sent to a store of their choosing for pick up.”

Shoppers at www.zara.cn in China will also be able to phone a toll-free customer service line or communicate by email with a dedicated customer help desk to resolve issues associated with their purchases.

Zara first ventured into China in 2006 when it opened its inaugural shop in Shanghai at a landmark site on Nanjing West Road. The retailer now has over 100 establishments in more than 40 Chinese cities, including Beijing, Guangzhou, Tianjin, Shenzhen, Wuhan, Shenyang, Chengdu and Chongqing.

Currently China hosts more than 300 Inditex stores branded under eight of the company’s retail concepts, beccoming one of the international markets in which the group has the most extensive retail footprint.

As for online markets, Zara opened its first e-stores in September 2010 in several European countries, following in the footsteps of Zara Home, whose online shop went live in 2007. Zara currently offers Internet shopping in 18 European countries, plus the United States and Japan.

About the Author

The Corner
The Corner has a team of on-the-ground reporters in capital cities ranging from New York to Beijing. Their stories are edited by the teams at the Spanish magazine Consejeros (for members of companies’ boards of directors) and at the stock market news site Consenso Del Mercado (market consensus). They have worked in economics and communication for over 25 years.

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