...ZARA - zara owned by inditex; posted net income eur340m on revs eur3.250m in 2001 - inditex ipo may 2001; oversubscribed; stock increased by over 50% - 76% of equity value implied stock price was based on future growth expectations (higher than an estimated 69% for WMT) - global apparel chain; buyer driven global chain - branded marketers and manufacturers served as brokers in linking overseas factories with markets - production; very fragmented (individual apparel firms on avg employed a few dozen ppl) - about 30% of apparel production was exported (developing countries had very large share, nearly 50% of all exports)...cheaper labor + inputs - proximity also important bc it reduced shipping costs - china was export powerhouse but greater regionalization in 90s led turkey, north africa, eastern euro countries to be major suppliers to US - MFA (multi fiber arrangement) regulated apparel and textile industry (restricted imports of US, canada, west europe since 1974); agreement to phase out quota system by 2005 and further reduce tariffs (avg 7-9% in major markets) - cross border intermediation; trading co's played primary role in orchestrating physical flows of apparel btwn exporters and importers - retail; large retail played leading role in promoting QR (quick response); targeted at improving coordination between retailing and manufacturing (increase speed and flexibility of responses to market shifts) - QR led to significant compression of cycle times enabled by...
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...compare Inditex with its largest competitor Gap. As Gap have the highest market capitalization of all Inditex competitors, the highest operating revenues and largest no.1 of store locations worldwide. So when comparing the financial results of Inditex with Gap I find out that: Gap Vs Zara: Gap had achieved stellar growth and profitability in the last ten years; it was one of the largest specialist apparel retailers in the world ahead of Inditex. It owned most of their stores but outsourced all production in contrast with Inditex. Although Gap and Zara follow the same business model, Zara's business model improved overtime, through the incorporation of technology as they have developed about 95% of the software it uses, Zara fast response to market changes gave them a competitive advantage in creating fashion and satisfying customers plus the fact that the company is getting larger and more global than it has been. For instance, Zara did not face the two basic barriers for going globally which are: Costs: that Zara did not incur when entering a new market, as the company does not have extraordinary advertising expenses to create brand recognition. Logistics: which involve being ahead of the curve, volume, SKUs, and delivery points; all are the same in every store which allows the company to take better advantage of real estate opportunities regardless of the market the company is in. That is why gap's operating expenses far exceed that of Zara. 2. How specifically do...
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...fashion retailer that designed, manufactured and sold apparel, footwear, and accessories for women, men, and children through Zara and other five chains around the world. The six retailing chains were organized as separate business units within an overall structure that also included six business support areas and nine corporate departments or areas of responsibility. They are separate in the sense that each chain is responsible for its own strategy, product design, sourcing, and manufacturing, distribution, and image, personal and financial results. Inditex was based in the northwest of Spain; it also operated about 20 manufacturing and distribution facilities in the region It is most interesting to compare Inditex with its largest competitor-Gap- as Gap have the highest market capitalization of all Inditex competitors, the highest operating revenues and largest no. of store locations worldwide. So when comparing the financial results of Inditex with Gap we find out that: Gap Vs Zara: Gap had achieved stellar growth and profitability in the last ten years; it was one of the largest specialist apparel retailers in the world ahead of Inditex. It owned most of their stores but outsourced all production in contrast wit Inditex. Nevertheless it ends with a massive a decline in its stock prices and the departure of Its CEO in 2002. Although Gap and Zara follow the same business model, Zara's business model improved over time, through the incorporation of...
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...fashion retailer that designed, manufactured and sold apparel, footwear, and accessories for women, men, and children through Zara and other five chains around the world. The six retailing chains were organized as separate business units within an overall structure that also included six business support areas and nine cor porate departments or areas of responsibility. They are separate in the sense that each chain is responsible for its own strategy, product design, sourcing, and manufacturing, distribution, and image, personal and financial results. Inditex was based in th e northwest of Spain; it also operated about 20 manufacturing and distribution facilities in the region It is most interesting to compare Inditex with its largest competitor-Gap- as Gap have the highest market capitalization of all Inditex competitors, the highest operating revenues and largest no. of store locations worldwide. So when comparing the financial results of Inditex with Gap we find out that: Gap Vs Zara: Gap had achieved stellar growth and profitability in the last ten years; it was one of the largest specialist apparel retailers in the world ahead of Inditex. It owned most of their stores but outsourced all production in contrast wit Inditex. Nevertheless it ends with a massive a decline in its stock prices and the departure of Its CEO in 200 2. Although Gap and Zara follow the same business model, Zara's business model improved over time, through the incorporation of...
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...stores. Inditex is thus a vertically integrated company. This made Inditex gain a competitive advantage, which is quick response to the market requirements. On the other hand, The Gap and H&M have a different business model. They owned most of the stores, but outsourced all the production. Benetton had a third business model. It invested heavily in the production, but licensees ran its stores. The most interesting company to compare Inditex is The Gap. Although The Gap has much higher revenues than Inditex (almost five times Inditex), it incurred a net loss, as opposed to Inditex, which achieved a 23%, return in investment. This is due to the extremely high costs of good sold for The Gap. This could be caused -at least partially- by the complete outsourcing of the production. They do not have enough control over the production costs. Although The Gap has larger market share than Inditex and has equity almost double that of Inditex, Inditex is much more profitable. 2. How specifically do the distinctive features of Zara business model affect its operating economics? Specifically, compare Zara with an average retailer with similar posted prices. Zara sources fabric, other inputs, and finished products from external suppliers. It has purchasing offices in Barcelona and Hong Kong. This gives Zara a competitive advantage towards the costs of goods sold, as it can purchase from both Europe and Asia according to prices. Buying more from China in the future might reduce even more...
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...ZARA: History and Background Inditex is a global specialty retailer that designs, manufactures, and sells apparel, footwear, and accessories for women, men and children through its chains around the world. Zara is the largest and most internationalized of the six retailers that Inditex owns: (Zara, Massimo Dutti, Pull & Bear, Bershka, Stradivarius, and Oysho). By the end of 2001, Zara operated 507 stores around the world, including Spain. Of Inditex’s total employees, over 80% of them are part of the retail sales force and 8.5% are in manufacturing, design, logistics, and distribution. The remaining 11.5% are part of the corporate headquarters of Inditex, which is located in the region of Spain called Galicia. The role of the corporate center at Inditex’s headquarters is that of a “strategic controller” only, and is involved in setting the corporate strategy, approving the business strategies of the individual chains, and controlling their overall performance rather than as an “operator” functionally involved in running the chains. This gives Zara autonomy to operate independently and be responsible for its own strategy, product design, sourcing & manufacturing, distribution, image, personnel and financial results. With this freedom, Zara was able to make major investments in manufacturing, logistics, and IT, including establishment of a just-in-time manufacturing system and a 130,000 square meter warehouse close to its corporate headquarters. Zara manufactured...
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...ZARA: History and Background Inditex is a global specialty retailer that designs, manufactures, and sells apparel, footwear, and accessories for women, men and children through its chains around the world. Zara is the largest and most internationalized of the six retailers that Inditex owns: (Zara, Massimo Dutti, Pull & Bear, Bershka, Stradivarius, and Oysho). By the end of 2001, Zara operated 507 stores around the world, including Spain. Of Inditex’s total employees, over 80% of them are part of the retail sales force and 8.5% are in manufacturing, design, logistics, and distribution. The remaining 11.5% are part of the corporate headquarters of Inditex, which is located in the region of Spain called Galicia. The role of the corporate center at Inditex’s headquarters is that of a “strategic controller” only, and is involved in setting the corporate strategy, approving the business strategies of the individual chains, and controlling their overall performance rather than as an “operator” functionally involved in running the chains. This gives Zara autonomy to operate independently and be responsible for its own strategy, product design, sourcing & manufacturing, distribution, image, personnel and financial results. With this freedom, Zara was able to make major investments in manufacturing, logistics, and IT, including establishment of a just-in-time manufacturing system and a 130,000 square meter warehouse close to its corporate headquarters. Zara manufactured...
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...article was that when a company’s value proposition is to provide customers with trendy fashion products at affordable, not necessarily low, prices; an operation strategy that is focused on speed is needed. In other words: a strategy where a vertically integrated supply chain is dedicated to responsiveness. The article elaborates on this when talking about Zara and Gap. While retailers such as Gap reduce costs by outsourcing manufacturing, Zara owns its entire supply chain, from manufacturing through distribution centers to retail outlets. Because of its focus on fashionable, trendy products, Zara procures capacity from its fabric suppliers but does not commit necessarily to a specific color or print until it has a clear picture of consumers’ preferences. Retail stores provide direct feedback to the company headquarters through its IT infrastructure, allowing designers to identify trends and respond accordingly. Using this strategy, Zara was able to reduce time to market for new styles to three to four weeks. Our team also learned the difference between traditional operations strategies that have been focused on efficiency vs. those that have been focused on responsiveness. In operational efficiency, the firm focuses on low-cost strategies across all functional areas. This includes supplier selection, manufacturing, product design, and distribution and logistics. Typically, in such a strategy, production and distribution decisions are based on long-term forecasts, inventory of...
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...ZARA: History and Background Inditex is a global specialty retailer that designs, manufactures, and sells apparel, footwear, and accessories for women, men and children through its chains around the world. Zara is the largest and most internationalized of the six retailers that Inditex owns: (Zara, Massimo Dutti, Pull & Bear, Bershka, Stradivarius, and Oysho). By the end of 2001, Zara operated 507 stores around the world, including Spain. Of Inditex’s total employees, over 80% of them are part of the retail sales force and 8.5% are in manufacturing, design, logistics, and distribution. The remaining 11.5% are part of the corporate headquarters of Inditex, which is located in the region of Spain called Galicia. The role of the corporate center at Inditex’s headquarters is that of a “strategic controller” only, and is involved in setting the corporate strategy, approving the business strategies of the individual chains, and controlling their overall performance rather than as an “operator” functionally involved in running the chains. This gives Zara autonomy to operate independently and be responsible for its own strategy, product design, sourcing & manufacturing, distribution, image, personnel and financial results. With this freedom, Zara was able to make major investments in manufacturing, logistics, and IT, including establishment of a just-in-time manufacturing system and a 130,000 square meter warehouse close to its corporate headquarters. Zara manufactured...
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...ZARA: History and Background Inditex is a global specialty retailer that designs, manufactures, and sells apparel, footwear, and accessories for women, men and children through its chains around the world. Zara is the largest and most internationalized of the six retailers that Inditex owns: (Zara, Massimo Dutti, Pull & Bear, Bershka, Stradivarius, and Oysho). By the end of 2001, Zara operated 507 stores around the world, including Spain. Of Inditex’s total employees, over 80% of them are part of the retail sales force and 8.5% are in manufacturing, design, logistics, and distribution. The remaining 11.5% are part of the corporate headquarters of Inditex, which is located in the region of Spain called Galicia. The role of the corporate center at Inditex’s headquarters is that of a “strategic controller” only, and is involved in setting the corporate strategy, approving the business strategies of the individual chains, and controlling their overall performance rather than as an “operator” functionally involved in running the chains. This gives Zara autonomy to operate independently and be responsible for its own strategy, product design, sourcing & manufacturing, distribution, image, personnel and financial results. With this freedom, Zara was able to make major investments in manufacturing, logistics, and IT, including establishment of a just-in-time manufacturing system and a 130,000 square meter warehouse close to its corporate headquarters. Zara manufactured...
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...products and new competitors rise seemingly overnight, that truly sustainable advantage might seem like impossibility, but there are winners and the Zara chain is one of them. The Zara fashion chain, founded in 1975 in Arteixo, is perhaps the world's most successful clothing chain. Zara has helped its parent, the Spanish firm Inditex, grow from obscurity in the mid. 90’s to the world's third largest pure-play fashion retailer after the Swedish H&M and US-based Gap Inc. with financial performance well ahead of these rivals. With 1021 shops, at 13.04.2007, in 55 countries, Zara appears to have found the formula for success: Give the public what it wants, at the lowest possible price, in the shortest time possible. In order to think about how the firms achieve sustainable advantage, it's useful to start with two concepts defined by Michael Porter: operational effectiveness and strategic positioning. (I) OPERATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS According to Porter, the reason so many firms suffer aggressive, margin eroding competition, is because they've defined themselves according to operational effectiveness rather than strategic positioning. Operational effectiveness refers to performing the same tasks better than rivals perform them. Everyone wants to be better, but the danger in operational effectiveness is in "sameness". At its heart Zara is building on a vertically integrated demand and supply chain, while most other textile chains rely on outsourcing and cheap labor in China. It enables...
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...Inditex, a Spanish conglomerate operating six distinct retail chains across the globe is struggling with the future direction of its largest subsidiary, Zara, which contributes 76% of annual revenues and 85% of earnings before interest and taxes. Zara’s success has been due in large part to its implementation and continuous development of its quick response system which provides a competitive advantage by increasing supply chain flexibility and the speed with which it can respond to market forces. In order to determine Zara’s future direction, Inditex needs to understand the financial viability of the quick response system, as well as the design of the system and its underlying processes. Upon conducting a thorough analysis of this critical system, Inditex should evaluate the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats associated with the quick response system. Considering the significance of Zara’s contributions to Inditex, it is critical that measures are taken to ensure Zara sustains its competitive advantage over the long-term. Financial Analysis A detailed financial analysis reveals that Zara enjoys a good measure of operating efficiency relative to its three major competitors: The Gap, Benetton, and H&M. While all of these companies share the common characteristic of being retailers in the global apparel industry, each has a unique value proposition and has distinct operational methods. The ensuing discussion attempts to highlight Zara’s efficiencies...
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...Inditex – Owners of the ‘Zara’ Franchise • Summary Overview • Fast Fashion – NOT Retailing • How ZARA / INDITEX works • Their system, organisation & focus points. • The QUESTION’s asked? What should ZARA do? • Should they do it? Why? • Value Chain & VRIN Analysis – (Inimitability is Key) • TOTAL Financial implications versus the Risk. • Diagnosis of Challenges & Recommendations. • People, Processes, Technology. • A Crisis of Coordination • Implementation strategy, communications and Stakeholder Management is KEY! • Summary 2 • ‘63 = House Coat Manufacturer, to Inditex in 2003 • Vertically Integrated Network (Production, DC’s, Retail) • €3.9billion Revenues, delivering €839.3m Op profits. • 1558 Hi-Profile OUTLETS. Stradivarius 10% Zara 34% Bershka 13% Oysho 4% • 8 successful Franchises, • ZARA 531 Stores = 34% - BUT, 75% Revenues • 85% of outlets in Europe, Spain 918. • Highly Profitable - Expanding Globally – FAST. • (Note – 2012 Accounts - €15.9b sales, €3.1b operating profits) Massimo Dutti 16% Kiddys Class 4% Pull & Bear 19% 3 • Fast Fashion Industry Overview • Moving designs from catwalk to store quickly, to capture current fashion trends. • In Store experience MUST be ‘trendy & interesting’ to drive regular visits. • Enables mainstream consumers to take advantage of current clothing styles at lower prices. • Brands Include, H&M, Zara, TopShop, Beneton, Gap Design, Make, Distribute - QUICKLY & CHEAPLY. 4 • ZARA Founded ‘75, BUT 40...
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...Political 4 5 Economic 4 6 Social 5 7 Technological 6 8 Environmental 6 9 Legislative 8 10 Conclusion 8 References 9 Introduction The global apparel market is a consumer-driven industry. Also, globalization and new technologies have allowed consumers to have more access to fashion. As a result, consumers are changing, competition is fierce, and companies are evolving to meet these demands. Zara, a Spanish-based chain owned by Inditex, is a retailer who has taken a new approach in the industry. With their unique strategy, Zara has the competitive advantage to be sustainable. In order to maintain that advantage and growth they must confront certain challenges and face traditional retailers in the apparel industry. So, now our group will analysis the PESTLE of Zara Company. (Lopez & Fan, 2009) Overview Zara is one of the largest international fashion companies and belongs to Inditex, which is one of the largest fashion retailers worldwide. Inditex operates in textile design, distribution and manufacturing. (Inditex, 2011 b) Zara operates in 78 countries worldwide with 1557 stores in the world’s largest cities. (Inditex, 2011 c) The company is founded in 1975 by Amancio Ortega, located in Spain and had in 2010 a net sale of 8.088 million of euro. (Inditex, 2011 a) The have worldwide 1557 stores in 78 different countries. (Inditex, 2011 a) Aim: democratize fashion, offering latest fashion, medium quality and moderate price (Lopez & Fan...
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...Zara Case: Fast Fashion from Savvy Systems a gallaugher.com case provided free to faculty & students for non-commercial use © Copyright 1997-2008, John M. Gallaugher, Ph.D. – for more info see: http://www.gallaugher.com/chapters Last modified: Sept. 13, 2008 Note: this is an earlier version of the case. All cases updated after July 2009 are now hosted (and still free) at http://www.flatworldknowledge.com. For details see the ‘Courseware’ section of http://gallaugher.com INTRODUCTION The poor, ship-building town of La Coruña in northern Spain seems an unlikely home to a techcharged innovator in the decidedly ungeeky fashion industry, but that’s where you’ll find “The Cube”, the gleaming, futuristic central command of the Inditex Corporation (Industrias de Diseno Textil), parent of game-changing clothes giant, Zara. The blend of technology-enabled strategy that Zara has unleashed seems to break all of the rules in the fashion industry. The firm shuns advertising, rarely runs sales, and in an industry where nearly every major player outsources manufacturing to low-cost countries, Zara is highly vertically integrated, keeping huge swaths of its production process in-house. These counterintuitive moves are part of a recipe for success that’s beating the pants off the competition, and it has turned the founder of Inditex, Amancio Ortega, into Spain’s wealthiest man and the world’s richest fashion executive. Zara’s operations are concentrated in La Coruña and Zaragoza, Spain...
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