Inditex y la ventaja competitiva de la fast fashion española, 1985-2019

Abstract

Since the 1990s, the international fashion market has been increasingly influenced by the so-called fast fashion, a business model characterized by rapidly producing a wide variety of garments, which are continually renewed, with designs that follow the latest fashion trends at low prices. The Spanish business group Inditex, parent company of the Zara brand, is the one that has best developed this business model, becoming the world’s largest fashion retailer. In 2019, with almost 180,000 employees and 7,500 stores spread over a hundred countries, its sales exceeded 28,000 million euros. this article analyzes the trajectory of Inditex, from its origins, in the early 1960s, to the present, showing the different stages of its evolution and delving into the causes of its success. The article pays special attention to Inditex’s sources of competitive advantage, which are also key to understanding the recent international success of other Spanish fashion companies. In recent years, all these companies have had to face very strong international competition and adapt to the profound changes caused by e-commerce.