Zara online - 03.09.2010

Fashion label Zara has launched its first online stores - hoping to attract its youthful army of 4.5 milion Facebook "friends".

The clothes chain will sell garments at identical prices to stores, charging £3.95 for home delivery.

 

 

Ordered items can be picked up free of charge at shops.

 

 

The label's owner Inditex, the world's biggest clothing retailer by sales, has launched Zara online in Britain, Spain, Portugal, France, Italy and Germany.

 

 

Internet and the world of social networking are indispensable tools and extraordinary channels for communication, and fit perfectly with our Group's philosophy.

 

 

The retailer, who also owns preppie brand Massimo Dutti and teen label Bershka, has plans to go online In America, Japan and South Korea next year.

 

 

Despite a deep global recession, online retail sales have boomed as more people get high-speed internet connections.

 

 

Online retail sales are projected to grow in Western Europe to £93bn in 2014 from £68bn in 2009, according to consultants Forrester.

 

 

Barclays Capital forecasts online shopping at Zara to boost earnings by 9.1% in the first full year following the launch.

 

 

A latecomer to internet fashion retail, Inditex has said it wanted to wait until it was sure there was enough demand for online shopping at Zara.

 

 

Homewares store Zara Home has offered online shopping since 2007.

 

 

Inditex Deputy Chairman and CEO Pablo Isla said: "Internet and the world of social networking are indispensable tools and extraordinary channels for communication, and fit perfectly with our Group's philosophy".

 

 

Arch rival H&M first put its business online in the Netherlands in 2006 and also plans to launch a site in Britain in September.