Zara will launch an Australian online store next week

Fashion retailer Zara is set to open an online store in Australia on March 14, as its global parent company reports a 10% increase in sales.

Zara’s Australian website has been updated to say nothing except: “Dear Australia, Shop Online March 14”. Customers are invited to register for email updates about the company’s digital offer.

Zara entered the Australian market in 2011, among a wave of global fast fashion retailers setting up shop in Australia. Globally, it has more than 2,200 stores.

Since its launch, the retailer has rapidly opened stores in Australia and now has 15 stores across Australia.

Retail experts have praised the business for positioning itself locally as a strong mid-market option, including in its offer of children’s clothing. Experts have previously told SmartCompany it is retailers like Zara that put pressure on Pumpkin Patch, which collapsed in 2016.

The online store will be a first for Australia, but globally, Zara been trialing a number of digital shopping strategies of late. This includes a recent trial pop-up store specifically for click-and-collect orders in London in January.

The Independent reports Zara set up a concept store in Westfield Stratford, which will allow customers to place click-and-collect online purchases. Pop-up store staff carry mobile devices and give customers the option of either collecting their order on the same day or the day after, depending on the time of order. The concept store is set to remain until May.

Inditex chief executive Pablo Isla said in a statement the move to set up a store with a focus on technology was “another milestone in our strategy of integrating our stores with the online world, which defines our identity as a business”.

Zara’s parent company Inditex has reported strong net sales income, with €17.96 billion ($28.5 billion) in global sales from February to October last year. This was a 10% increase in net sales and followed another year of sales growth in 2016 of 11%.

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