Do it the Zara Way

Having a fashion-related business is more than just producing nice looking clothes. Take a cue from a store which I really admire – Zara. Their clear cut strategy is the main reason for their success. Their design, efficiency, and price constantly allow them to attract new customers and keep their existing ones.

1. DESIGN – Zara’s designs are constantly updated, with a speed that even beats the world’s top luxury brands. The reason for this is first and foremost, technology and the blogging world. Through fashion websites such as instyle.com, a designer’s pieces are seen by the rest of the world only a few hours after the fashion show. Moreover, trends materialize and are broadcasted to everyone even before the fashion week ends. Therefore, designers can’t blame companies such as Zara when they choose to capitalize on this opportunity by instantly producing items which are similar to those in the runways of fashion week. Zara admits that they do not make trends, they follow them. Their people study trends and have a knack for knowing what will work and what wouldn’t.

Zara’s garments are similar to those of the luxury brands

2. EFFICIENCY – Zara’s very huge and efficient manufacturing facility in Spain is the reason why Zara can get their garments from the design board to the racks so much earlier that high end brands. Most of their departments: design, pattern making, purchasing, and visual merchandising are in house. Moreover, this facility is capable of cutting 8,000 clothes per day and their logistics facility can ship out 60,000 clothes per hour. Wow. I don’t see how luxury companies can beat that.

Zara headquarters in Spain

3. PRICE – Although Zara’s garments are similar to those of the luxury brands’, customers can get them for more than one tenth of their designer counterparts. Yes this also due to Zara’s efficiency in creating and delivering their merchandise, but Zara’s affordable prices can also be attributed to another aspect: marketing. I don’t know if you have noticed, but Zara doesn’t do any traditional advertising: no magazine ads, billboards, or TV commericals. Their only way of communicating their vision to the consumers is through their store. Zara picks only the top locations for their stores, makes sure that the store’s interiors are sophisticated and well decorated, and makes an effort to constantly update their window displays.

Zara Athens