On 21 March, Spanish fast fashion giant Zara opened a flagship store in the Xinjiekou area in Nanjing, Jiangsu, in East China. The 2,500 square metre store marks the shift of Zara’s offline strategy and offers several “firsts” in the space. Combining an innovative urban space with the historical capital Nanjing, the location is Zara taking another step towards a premium positioning.
Spread across two storeys, the exterior of the Nanjing flagship is covered with a uniform grey cement-like material, while the inside is also an industrial masonry coupled with a dark wood texture. The location includes Zara’s first auto-conveyor system in Asia, as well as the first Zara Salon in the world, providing personalised styling services by appointment for the full luxury experience. The shop also includes the first “selfie pod” photo booth and apparel vending machine.
The “Asian flagship” is also home to the first-ever Zacaffè in Asia. Bricks used in the exterior were salvaged from older buildings nearby to evoke a familiar sense of the neighbourhood. The modernist design is complemented by the heartfelt homage paid to the historical city, including two coffees inspired by Nanjing.
Zara has been closing many of its stores in China since last year. Now it has only 73 shops, compared to 183 in its peak. Commentators have observed as Zara shifted its positioning to a premium one, it has not only expanded quickly via online channels but also begun to open larger stores with better offline experiences, a move that is also being explored by fast fashion brands H&M and Uniqlo. As international brands are being pursued by homegrown competitors like Urban Revivo on the affordable front, aiming for a higher brand positioning and prices might be the obvious next move.
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