In 90 % of the cases, when I speak with businessmen about their aims, the majority of faces get illuminated when speaking about Zara. And if I ask them, they all respond: I want to be like Zara.
As you know I was employed at the Inditex group, precisely at Massimo Dutti. It was a wealth-producing experience in every sense and it was a stage of my life that fills me with pride. Though being employed at a multinational is not what fills me most, as for its dynamism and professionalism, it contributed in my knowledge that in another way would have taken years in learning.
But today I am not going to explain to you on how Zara works but why I think that Zara or the Inditex group has had, has and will have. Under my point of view, and going back to the beginnings of Zara, the brand was in a certain way the one that socialized fashion industry. If you remember, when in 1975 Zara opened its first shop, fashion was only for some minorities; for the elite, for those who could afford it and normally prices were unattainable: or you had money or you were not fashionable. In Zara’s website you can read:
1976-1984: Zara’s fashionable concept experiences a good social reception that allows them to expand their shops to the principal Spanish cities.
Good social reception: Exactly! Of course! I remember when Zara opened their first shop I was designing at Mango which already was a known brand, but Zara’s prices, even though everybody said that the quality was bad… Well!! With the prices! I started listening at company directors “presuming” on how cheap a T-Shirt had cost them at Zara.
How did he do it and / or which is the secret, does it really matter so much? In my opinion what counts is the commercial vision. The great commercial creativity, the speed in the executions and specially that they had created a new system in which Prompt Fashion had been revalued.
There are many critical views with the Inditex group who say that they copy, do not have scruples, they push and squeeze suppliers… but who has never bought in any brand of the group? Why being like Zara and not as Armani or Prada? Why not be as yourself?
On my next post I will be giving you some clues in order that you and your company maximize your own resources.
To be like Zara? No. Be yourself with your own company, style and successes.