Zara opts for measured online launch
With only six brick-and-mortar stores in SA the addition of online will give the retailer wider reach
With an African presence stretching almost a decade, and an online life just as old, Zara's online launch in SA was a little delayed, in the view of its enthusiasts. The Inditex-owned Spanish fast-fashion retailer introduced its online store to South African shoppers this week as part of its global e-commerce strategy. Inditex plans for all its brands to be available online all over the world by 2020. Between August 1 and September 8, the group had online sales growth of 8%. It is also expanding its Zara online platform to the Philippines, Ukraine and Colombia this year. With the complexities that come with setting up shop on the internet, and in a market with low online saturation, Zara's delayed South African move online was a measured decision, according to Flux Trends founder and analyst Dion Chang."People underestimate what it takes to go online," Chang said, citing logistical barriers and delivery systems such as click-and-collect that retailers need to consider and p...
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