Zara to close up to 1,200 fashion stores around the world

The owner of Zara will down shut as many as 1,200 shops throughout the world as the clothing retailer seeks to expand online sales during the turmoil brought by the Covid-19 pandemic, The Guardian reports.

Inditex announced it would “absorb” between 1,000 and 1,200 largely smaller stores, with declines narrowed among older shops from brands other than Zara. The Spanish company’s other brands include Bershka, Pull & Bear and Massimo Dutti.
Closures are anticipated to be concentrated in Asia and Europe. It is noted that the 107 Inditex stores in the UK are less likely to be significantly affected.

Inditex said that “headcount will remain stable”, with staff offered roles in other jobs such as dispatching online purchases.