As part of a digital transformation plan, the Spanish conglomerate begins to close its stores in China.
Entrepreneur’s New Year’s Guide
Let the business resources in our guide inspire you and help you achieve your goals in 2021.
January 13, 2021 2 min read
“Hurry to the wrong step” may be the strategy of the conglomerate Inditex, since they are accelerating the process to close all their Bershka , Pull & Bear and Stradivarius stores in China . This is part of a digital transformation plan that began in 2020, after a million-dollar loss when sales fell 44% during lockdown.
In June 2020, the fast fashion giant reported that it would close 1,200 stores permanently around the world . Now, the process has advanced during January in the Asian country.
According to the WWD portal, the total of 93 branches that will close their operations, 37 are Pull & Bea r, 34 Bershka and 22 Stradivarius . The closure of the establishments has been gradual, however, the plan is that the three brands will only sell through their online stores, since these concentrate the greatest demand from consumers.
Until the third quarter of 2020, the conglomerate had increased its online sales by 75% compared to the same period of the previous year.
– Bershka (@Bershka) December 20, 2020
China, together with Spain , represent its most important market, and these will be the most affected by the accelerated transformation derived from the pandemic. In Spain, 1 in 4 stores are expected to be closed. “The plan will allow chains such as Bershka, Pull & Bear and Stradivarius to boost online sales in China and Japan,” Inditex commented to explain the change in the business model.
For the moment, the Zara, Zara Home, Oysho and Massimo Dutti brands will continue to be physically present in the Asian market.