Inditex - Zara :
re-writing the rules in apparel retailing
Steve Burt
John Dawson
Roy Larke
Introduction
Perhaps not yet quite as ubiquitous as Benetton, but with 1,558 stores in 44 countries at the start of 2003, Zara is widely regarded as in international phenomenon in the apparel industry. By providing good value, design led, fashion clothing in a much reduced lead time, Zara has challenged many of the traditional ways of operating within the retail clothing sector. The success of the operation is reflected in a financial performance (see table 1) that is the envy of many of its established competitors.
