Zara e-commerce improvements teased

Tuesday, March 25, 2014 - 09:47 by Sarah Collinson

High street fashion chain, Zara, is set to get an e-commerce makeover this year, with its UK site for safe shopping online being enhanced, in tandem with a wider international rollout of its web-based retail platforms, according to The Drum.

Owned by Inditex, which is also responsible for other mainstream brands, Zara is going to have online shops accessible in 27 countries before the end of the year. So people in places like Mexico and Romania will be able to echo the shopping activities of their British counterparts and buy clothing online from this outlet.

At the moment, the British e-commerce site operated under the Zara brand is one of the most popular for Inditex. People from overseas log on to check up on products and even place orders for international delivery, because the UK has such a well established and trusted market for safe shopping online, according to industry expert, Eric Abensur.

He also believes that the decision by Inditex to make Zara available to online shoppers in South Korea at some point in 2014, is a major sign that it is shifting its strategies to cope with the rise of m-commerce. The firm revealed that 64 per cent of its customers around the globe are currently choosing to head to the UK version of Zara's site using their mobile phones, so accommodating this significant proportion of people is essential.

While it may take some doing to wean Zara's global audience off the UK site, it will be beneficial for everyone in the long run, as it means domestic sales and delivery will be available internationally. This is also a good sign for Britain, because the economic impact of its position on the global e-commerce stage should not be underestimated over the coming months and years.