Zara, Spain's most successful fashion brand, is owned by Industria de Diseno Textil SA (Madrid: ITX). Inditex is a textile manufacturer whose activities include the design, confection, manufacturing, promotion and sale of men, women and children apparel, footwear and fashion accessories, as well as home furnishings and household textile products. Its retail distribution is conducted through a chain of more than 5,000 commercial stores, which are structured in eight business concepts: Zara, Pull & Bear, Massimo Dutti, Bershka, Stradivarius, Oysho, Zara Home and Uterque.
The company's manufacturing and distribution strategy has been the subject of many business case studies. Because of its short supply chain, Inditex can provide "fast fashion", reacting quickly to street trends and minimizing unwanted stock. Although the majority of sales are still in Europe, Zara recently expanded to China and opened a flagship store on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. Zara stores are now in more than 100 countries (Source: Various).