Zara is one of the world’s most successful fashion retailers operating in 59 countries.
However, there is little research about the firm in English as the majority of
publications have been written in Spanish. This paper seeks to address this gap in the
literature by examining the internationalisation process of Zara. This study adopts an
in-depth case approach based on extensive secondary research. Literature published in
both English and Spanish has been reviewed, including company documents such as
annual reports. The paper starts with a brief overview of the global textile and
clothing industry, followed by the case study of Zara. The main part of the case
examines the key aspects in the internationalisation of Zara namely: motives for
internationalisation, market selection, entry strategies, and international marketing
strategies. In the final section, comparisons are made between Zara and two of its
main competitors, H&M and Gap
