Inditex, the Spain-based fashion group that operates fast fashion retailer Zara, will make all of its brands available online worldwide by 2020.
Inditex sells brands including Pull&Bear, Massimo Dutti, Bershka, Stradivarius, Oysho and Uterqüe across its network of nearly 7,500 physical stores. The company currently has stores in 96 markets, but only operates online in 49 of them.
Pablo Isla, Chairman and CEO of Inditex, revealed during a press conference that all the group’s brands will adopt an RFID-based integrated stock management system by 2020 in all countries where it has a physical store presence. This will enable the company to extend its online offerings significantly. To date, integrated stock management is in place in Zara stores in 25 markets, including the U.S., the UK, Spain, France, Italy, China and Mexico.
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Online sales throughout the fashion group jumped 41% in 2017 to reach 10% of total net sales, so this decision is likely to push this percentage even higher as expansion continues. Zara lags its biggest rival in this area; H&M generates nearly 12% of sales online, operating online in nearly 50 markets and hosting stores in approximately 70.
The e-Commerce expansion isn’t the only goal Inditex looks to complete by 2020. The company is on pace to operate all stores under its eco-efficiency plan, which entails energy savings of 20% and water savings of 50%. Those systems are already in place in 80% of its stores, including all locations in China.
