Inditex (Zara)
Spanish fashion retailer founded by Amancio Ortega in 1985 that constructed the fast fashion niche through proximity manufacturing.
Spanish fashion retailer founded by Amancio Ortega in 1985 that constructed the fast fashion niche through proximity manufacturing. While competitors moved production to Asia for cost savings, Ortega kept two-thirds of production in Spain, Portugal, and Morocco for speed advantage. Design-to-store in 2-3 weeks (vs 6-9 months for competitors), 52 micro-collections per year. The supply chain infrastructure became an unassailable competitive moat, enabling ecological inheritance for new brands like Pull&Bear and Bershka.
Key Leaders at Inditex (Zara)
Amancio Ortega
Founder
Bet against industry wisdom by keeping manufacturing in Europe for speed over cost
Cautionary Notes on Inditex (Zara)
- Sustainability backlash against fast fashion model
- Digital competitors like Shein matching speed without physical stores
- Geographic scalability limitations of proximity manufacturing