Where is Zara clothes made? (2024)

Where are most Zara clothes made?

While some competitors outsource all production to Asia, Zara manufactures its most fashionable items – half of all its merchandise – at a dozen company-owned factories in Spain (particularly in Galicia), Portugal (northern part) and Turkey.

Most of Zara's clothes are manufactured at its sites in Spain or in nearby Portugal, Morocco and Turkey.

They have a wide range in east and southern Africa. They usually live in treeless grasslands and savanna woodlands and are absent from deserts, rainforests, and wetlands.

Inditex owns factories in Spain and outsources production to factories in Portugal, Morocco and Turkey — considered costly labor markets, typically. The rest of its clothes are produced in China, Bangladesh, Vietnam and Brazil, among other countries.

For its long-lead items, Zara uses the same foreign factories as everybody else because the costs are cheaper. But for the fast-fashion items Zara produces in-house, it often relies heavily on sophisticated fabric-sourcing, cutting, and sewing facilities nearer to its design headquarters in Spain.

Zara used to employ Turkish sweatshops in Istanbul, where workers were forced to work without being paid. Modern slavery and child labor cases involving Zara in Brazilian factories were previously reported. Zara now cares more about its suppliers with higher transparency and worker empowerment initiatives.

What Are Our Clothes Made From? Clothes today are made from a wide range of different materials. Traditional materials such as cotton, linen and leather are still sourced from plants and animals. But most clothes are more likely to be made of materials and chemicals derived from fossil fuel-based crude oil.

Portugal, Morocco, India and Bangladesh are the next biggest suppliers of the group, with over one hundred local partners. India and Bangladesh are also the ones with the largest workforce, after China, with over 275,000 workers in India and near half a million in Bangladesh.

The Zara brand strategy

Its core values are found in four simple terms: beauty, clarity, functionality and sustainability. The secret to Zara's success has largely being driven by its ability to keep up with rapidly changing fashion trends and showcase it in its collections with very little delay.

Zara's generic strategy is cost leadership. The brand holds a competitive advantage in the market by offering products similar to high-end fashion and designer brands' styles at modest prices.

Where are most clothes made?

Currently, China produces 65% of the world's clothes and is the world's largest manufacturer and exporter of textiles. Traditionally, China has been attractive to brands from all over the world for its huge labour pool and production capacity as well as sophisticated factories and efficient supply chains.

Zara's success is based on its ability to adapt quickly. Unlike many clothing brands, whose designs are stagnant for the season, Zara is constantly assessing and reacting to the environment in a matter of weeks. The brand designs new styles and pushes them into stores while the trend is still at its peak.

Zara delivers new products twice each week to its 1,670 stores around the world. This adds up to more than 10,000 new designs each year! It takes the company only 10 to 15 days to go from the design stage to the sales floor. Because of this streamlined model, Zara is not forced to be ahead of the curve.

Zara makes about half their goods in Spain, in factories they own themselves. The rest of Zara's goods are made in cheap, long-lead factories in China and other Asian countries.

Labour conditions

Zara again scores “Not Good Enough” for labour. Half of its final stage of production is undertaken in Spain, a medium risk country for labour abuse, and the brand received a score of 51-60% in the Fashion Transparency Index.

Many more have even begun to boycott Zara specifically for its inappropriate association with forced labour camps in China and degrading working conditions in its Brazilian factories. Fast fashion brands such as Zara, expose their workers to extremely harsh working conditions around the world.

As mentioned above, some of the factories Zara uses have been proven to release toxic chemicals and waste. Not only does this harm the environment, but it also harms the people working in clothing production facilities. Furthermore, employees often have to work under high-pressure situations.

Zara stores have been accused of labor abuses in supply chain subjecting workers to degrading conditions. This prompted many consumers to boycott the brand's products. The brand has been linked to forced labor camps in China, and its workers in Brazil are also subjected to inadequate working conditions.

In addition to its low labor costs, China has become known as "the world's factory" because of its strong business ecosystem, lack of regulatory compliance, low taxes and duties, and competitive currency practices.

What luxury brands are not made in China?

China: main clothing supplier

As seen in the present graph, China, Bangladesh and India are top three locations where H&M sources its products. This is also true for. In Sweden, where the retailer is headquartered, there are a total of 21 suppliers and factories manufacturing H&M's clothing products and accessories.

These are cheap and low-quality brands and stores such as H&M, ZARA, Target, GAP, Wal-Mart, American Apparel. The clothing that these stores sell, like fast food, is cheap with consequences.

Fast, funky, stylish, trendy and exciting, with something new to offer every week, stocking everything from separates to casual basics, jackets to layering options—this vocabulary has exhausted and enlivened Zara buffs the world over ever since the brand from Inditex SA first launched in 1975.

Key Differences

Zara divides the products sold within its stores into lower garments and upper garments, with price points being higher for the upper garments. Zara hopes to be perceived as a high-end retailer with affordable prices.

Unrelenting focus on the customer

They prioritize customer needs and insights. The staff and employees are trained to provide the best customer service possible. The brand uses cutting-edge systems to track the location of garments instantly and makes those most in demand rapidly available to customers.

The ad, which has been seen in stores in England and Spain, features the slogan "Love Your Curves." While it's seemingly a well-intentioned message about body-positivity, there's a problem: The two models featured alongside the phrase are straight-size, and thus, the curves that Zara is asking customers to love aren't ...

Zara's brand identity refers to the identity of the brand Zara created from Inditex group. Zara´s identity represents how Inditex group wants Zara to be seen, Zara´s differentiation from competitors and what the brand promises.

What big brands are made in China?

Gucci says it produces 100% of its goods in Italy, where it says rights are upheld. However, the company has more than 3,000 subcontracted suppliers and it is unclear to us what its policy is for upholding rights in these workplaces.

Rather than spending money on advertising, Zara invests into real estate. The stores are always situated in the beautiful, historical locations, close to haute couture brands so that those who can't afford expensive high quality brands could buy as fashionable but cheaper clothes.

Portugal, Morocco, India and Bangladesh are the next biggest suppliers of the group, with over one hundred local partners. India and Bangladesh are also the ones with the largest workforce, after China, with over 275,000 workers in India and near half a million in Bangladesh.

Zara's parent company, Inditex, has started a repair and reuse program called Closing the Loop. The program offers customers the opportunity to drop off their used garments in-store or through the post in order for their clothes to gain a second life—which is a good initiative. The brand also uses recycled packaging.

China: main clothing supplier

As seen in the present graph, China, Bangladesh and India are top three locations where H&M sources its products. This is also true for. In Sweden, where the retailer is headquartered, there are a total of 21 suppliers and factories manufacturing H&M's clothing products and accessories.

Currently, China produces 65% of the world's clothes and is the world's largest manufacturer and exporter of textiles. Traditionally, China has been attractive to brands from all over the world for its huge labour pool and production capacity as well as sophisticated factories and efficient supply chains.