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Zara Is Closing Over 1,000 Stores to Invest in Online Shopping

Linda J. Picard

Zara is the latest fashion brand to start closing retail stores across the globe due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which has kept many shops closed since mid-March.

On June 12, the fast-fashion retailer’s parent company, Inditex, announced its plans to shut down between 1,000 and 1,200 brick-and-mortars over the next two years and divert resources into online sales strategies.

It’s not yet known exactly which Zara locations will be affected, but the closings will be “stores at the end of their useful life” and “whose sales can be recovered in nearby stores and online,” the company said their statement.

Under that plan, Inditex CEO Pablo Isla confirmed the company will “increase the online customer service teams and the dedicated packaging both from the specific online stockrooms and from the stores,” as well as offer customers “uninterrupted service no matter where they find themselves, on any device

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18 Online Shopping Traps and Scams To Watch Out For

Linda J. Picard

Online shopping can help you save money and access a wide variety of products, but there are downsides, too. Hackers and other online criminals are constantly trying to scam shoppers by offering fake deals and discounts. In fact, according to a recent Better Business Bureau Scam Tracker report, online purchase scams are the second-riskiest type of fraud after employment scams.

Although shopping online doesn’t always result in identity theft, there are other risks, too. You might lose money, get a bogus product or not get anything at all — and you might even be convinced to spend more than you planned to.

By knowing the most common scams and traps that online shoppers encounter, you can set your finances up for a better future.

Last updated: April 7, 2020

Requests To Pay With Wire Transfers

Sound the alarm if a retailer asks you for a wire transfer, a money

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Inditex invests in technology to merge online with in-store shopping

Linda J. Picard

MADRID (Reuters) – Zara owner Inditex unveiled a 2.7 billion euro ($3 billion) investment in technology on Wednesday to make it easier for customers to track the items they want, blurring the lines between online and in-store shopping.

Using the fashion retailer’s app, shoppers will be able to browse a specific store’s stock to buy items for collection the same day, reserve a changing room, find garments in store via a map and self check-out using QR codes.

The idea is that sophisticated control of stock and high-tech tools for shoppers to locate items both in store and online will lead to more sales at full-price.

The technology will be rolled out across Inditex’s stores over the next three years, a company spokesman told Reuters.

One billion euros of the investment is earmarked for a proprietary technology platform, the company said.

Inditex uses radio frequency technology, attached as a chip

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