July 16, 2021

CASE STUDY #10

Zara’s Disruptive Vision: Data-Driven Fast Fashion

As one of the successful fashion merchandises with its goal of "fast fashion", Zara sets its
mind to create a run of passion for fashion all over the wide range of consumers around the globe
in the fastest way possible. Zara was founded by Amancio Ortega and Rosalía Mera as a family
business in their hometown Spain in 1975, with their first offered products in the form of low-
priced replica images of high-end fashion and clothing products. Through the years, Zara's
approach to fashion and business constantly evolved and change through the consumers'
preferences and convenience. Zara is very into consumer satisfaction, so the brand's strategies
and culture were technically defined by consumer preference from the very start. From young to
adult, women and men, and all the other types of demographics, they are being catered by Zara,
with their constant improvement of clothes, shoes, and even accessories, they are being made
edgier for the likes of consumers.

I think that the greatest strategy that Zara has is its flexibility to adapt to the constant
changes and evolving of the fashion industry. Because Zara is well known for being a costumer-
centered brand, consumers expect them to have a fast and efficient fashion action. It is said that
the fashion and clothing industry usually released a new collection every after few months due to
the long process of logistics, manufacturing, and any other factors in the industry. However,
Zara, always makes sure that the clothes and fashion trends in their shops were never seen before
specifically the week before. The clothes and other products were always new arrivals in the
stock market of the fashion industry. Another thing the brand always considers is the Fashion
itself, the production and manufacturing may be done in fast procedures but the brand makes
sure that fashion is on top, the price may be important but it is less important than the passion for
fashion. Their flexibility to an ever-changing trend of fashion is very notable as it is stated in
their company objectives that if a fashion line is not very well accepted or embraced in the
market, the manufacturing area immediately pulls out the line and apply trendy changes, these
include the color, style, and sizes. Combining new ideas and fast production is a very great
strategy, Zara makes sure that their brand is always at the pace of fashion collection, if not
advanced. Because of this strategic and excellent flexibility prowess, Zara has not just been
surviving but excelling in the fashion industry. The brand has spread not just in their hometown

MILLIEVO, ANABEL D.
July 16, 2021

but as well to different parts of the world such as Portugal, New York (USA), Paris (France),
Mexico, Greece, Belgium, Sweden, Malta, Cyprus, Norway, and Israel. The brand that started as
a small store, is now in present time owned more or less 2,264 stores preparedly located in big
cities across 96 countries, which also contributes to the employment rate for up to 174,000
employees that operate in more than 7,400 stores in 202 markets around the globe including 49
online markets.

In 2008 when the news about Zara overtaking Gap as the world's leading fashion retailer,
stores of Zara have been out in malls around the world, and Gap was left figuring how or what
strategies to formulate that would work. While many fashion brands are making their way to the
top of the chain, Gap was left behind, causing it to close some of its establishments for the
survival of the selling stores. I think it is because Gap was constantly getting out of date to the
new and technological evolution in the fashion industry, though they still catch the latest trend in
the fashion world, they hardly get to reach the expected number of demands because of way long
process of production, manufacturing and even logistics. They don't have a flexible system to
minimize the time and effort in marketing their product because of somehow wrong strategic and
managerial measures. As the fashion line constantly evolves, brands and clothes are constantly
improving as well, developing new ideas of fashion that walk the talk. Because above all,
changes and evolution present the passion for fashion.

References
Amed, I. (2008, August 12). Business of Fashion. Retrieved from
https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/news-analysis/the-gap-and-zara-a-tale-of-
two-brands

Daniels, J. D., Radebaugh, L. H., & Sullivan, D. P. (2018). International Business Environments
and Operations. London: Pearson Education.

Roll, M. (2020, August). Martin Roll Business and Brand Leadership. Retrieved from
https://martinroll.com/resources/articles/strategy/the-secret-of-zaras-success-a-culture-of-
customer-co-creation/

MILLIEVO, ANABEL D.
July 16, 2021

MILLIEVO, ANABEL D.