The Inditex Group has opened its first Zara store in Delhi, India. The Indian market shows great growth potential and will make a considerable contribution to total sales in the long term. However, several challenges remain in the form of a 51% limit on FDI and significant cultural differences. Nevertheless, Inditex’s unique distribution strategy should allow it to gradually adapt to the market.

Inditex opened its first Zara store in India on May 29, 2010 in the Saket region of Delhi, having announced its plan to do so in September 2007. In accordance with Indian regulations on foreign direct investment (FDI), the Spanish fast-fashion retailer partnered with the Tata Group, India, to form a joint venture in February 2009. Inditex owns 51% of this partnership while Tata’s subsidiary Trent Limited holds 49%. Due to various challenges the company faces, store expansion will remain slow, with only one further store opening planned for 2010.

Inditex has relied heavily on global expansion to maintain its sales momentum due to the heavy impact of the downturn in its domestic market. Indeed in 2009, 98% of new stores opened outside of Spain. Asian markets are a particularly strong source of growth for Inditex. It already operates stores in South Korea, China and Japan, where it opened a combined 63 stores in 2009. Similarly to China, India presents lucrative potential in the form of a rapidly growing middle class. Moreover, its clothing retail expenditure is forecast to grow at a faster rate than neighboring China with a CAGR of 6.7% in the period 2009-13, compared to China’s 5.3%, according to Verdict’s Global Retail Database.

Zara has launched its stores at Select Citywalk and DLF Promenade mall, in New Delhi and in the new extension of the Palladium commercial centre in Mumbai. Lara Dutta, launched the Zara apparel brand at Select Citywalk. It is the first store of the company in India. It has more than 14,000 square feet in one floor where the brand show its women’s, men’s and children’s collection. Zara is the second Spanish Retailer to enter India, after Mango. Although Mango expanded in India, by the franchise route.

However, the company faces several hurdles. Current regulations on FDI in India stipulate that foreign single-brand retailers must pass a 49% stake to a local partner. This involves the retailer sharing company details and data it would not normally divulge. Furthermore, franchising stores means that the retailer loses some control over how these are operated, which many companies fear may damage their brand. Consequently, single-brand retailers are often wary of entering the Indian market. For a clothing retailer like Zara, additional concerns include the relative lack of seasonal variation and the distinct, consolidated style of dress among Indian women which differs greatly to Zara’s existing ranges. We reported back in March, 2009 that Spanish Retailer Zara has finalised its India Strategy with Trent.

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