I've written about Zara before [see What Makes a Destination?] and their fast fashion retail model.Essentially, Zara limits product supply while constantly replenishing with new, cutting-edge fashion products, that from concept to delivery make it in-store in 15 days.
Rather impressive!
Then, as I flipped through DDI's May 2008 issue, I found a reference to Zara Home... I was intrigued.
The article titled "Parisian home - Zara Home nests in on the French residential market" by senior editor Alison Embrey Medina explains that Zara Home "specialize[s] in one thing - chic, fashionable merchandise at reasonable prices."
First launched in Paris in June 2007, you can find Zara Home in several other European countries, the Middle East and Mexico, but not yet in the U.S. or Canada. Zara Home online [here for France] gives you a taste for the merchandise selection [ranging from bed, bath and table linens, table utensils, light furniture and a myriad of other home accessories] which looks fresh and eye-catching. In true Zara form, the pricing definitely seems reasonable!
Also, admire how beautifully accessorized the product photos are. This goes beyond the vignettes and concept settings that an IKEA creates.
Glam.Com writes about Zara Home and includes several pages from the catalog. And, Lovely Things features the Zara Home Autumn/Winter Collection.
I'm quite taken with the notion of a Zara Home Store and urge you to look through they way they have presented and merchandised their products online - pending the store reaching our shores!
At the same time, as much as I love the idea of Zara extending its fashion sense to other categories, I'm curious how the business model works.
Apparel - and particularly fashionable Zara apparel - has a shorter lifecycle than home textiles and accessories. How then do you build obsolescence that consumers will respond to into items that are somewhat less fashion sensitive? Or, is Zara morphing the quick fashion model to better suit Zara Home?
If you've visited Zara Home or know more about how it fits into the Inditex model, please do let us know. I'm curious!
And, if you haven't, I'd love your take on Zara Home.
Thanks.
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