Zara to introduce denim customisation

By

Triana Alonso

Published
Mar 13, 2019

Inditex's largest retail chain Zara is continuing to push the boundaries of fast fashion, exploring personalisation with a first customisation service, offered through the denim collection of the brand's "Trf" category. The news, announced exclusively at the group's HQ in Arteixo, Spain, coincided with the presentation of the company's annual results on Wednesday, 13 March. 

As explained to FashionNetwork.com by managers from the brand, the idea came about as a reaction to customer feedback and market demand, and is in line with the rising trend in the denim sector. Dubbed "Zara Edited", the concept will be introduced in the denim category of the "Trf" department and allow customers to add embroidered words to the front or back of denim shorts, skirts and jackets. The price of these pieces will be the same as non-personalised items. One catch: once customised, products cannot be returned. 

This test collection will launch on 27 March and will be available in three exclusive brick-and-mortar stores: Plaza de Cataluña (Barcelona), Kalverstraat (Amsterdam) and the retailer's recently renovated location on Milan's Corso Vittorio Emanuele. Customers will also be able to personalise pieces online or through the Zara app, where they can select the area they wish to customise, as well as the font and colour of the embroidery. In this way, the service will be made available in Spain, Italy, the UK and the Netherlands through the retailer's e-commerce platform. In Spain, the company's personalisation and embroidery facilities will be concentrated in Madrid. 

In 2018, the group increased its revenue by 3% to €26.14 billion, exceeding the barrier of €26 billion for the first time in its history. Online sales, which already account for 14% of turnover in the markets in which the group has an online presence, increased by 27% to €3.2 billion. Zara increased its e-commerce presence to 202 markets in the past year. The brand, together with Zara Home, recorded net sales of €18.02 billion euros, 3.2% more than in the previous year.