Inditex's Zara launches first standalone menswear boutique in the US

Madrid – Zara, the Inditex group's leading fashion chain by turnover, has just opened its first store in the US dedicated exclusively to menswear. This opening follows the store model and curated shopping experience presented by the chain in Madrid just over a year ago, albeit with some nuances. The company is relaunching a format it seemed to have abandoned, choosing meticulously selected locations for its revival.

Following the announcement by Inditex's chief executive officer, Óscar García Maceiras, during the Spanish fashion multinational's last Annual General Meeting on July 15, the first Zara Man store in the US finally opened its doors to the public this past Thursday, October 30. The retail point is located on the second floor of the South Coast Plaza shopping centre in the Californian city of Costa Mesa, within the Los Angeles metropolitan area.

With the opening of this store in one of the largest and most exclusive shopping centres in the country, Zara begins a specific process of segmenting its commercial offering in the US. The brand is adding greater value to its menswear collections by allowing them to compete for the first time in the country's retail scene from their own dedicated space. This space is located within one of the most prestigious shopping arcades in the significant Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Spanish chain is strengthening its presence in the area, following the opening of its flagship store at The Grove shopping centre last June.

With Zara's latest menswear collections

The new Zara Man store is located on the 'main floor' of South Coast Plaza, almost directly opposite the flagship store the Spanish chain already operated in the same shopping centre. This presence is now expanded and specialised with this first US retail point dedicated exclusively to its menswear collections. With this new boutique, Zara strengthens its offering against other operators in the same complex and its immediate vicinity. These include brands such as Sandro; Hugo Boss; COS—H&M's premium brand—; Maje; Gani; Acne Studios; Amiri; Bally; Saint Laurent; Gucci; Balenciaga; Givenchy; Bottega Veneta; Giorgio Armani; Moncler; and Brunello Cucinelli. All these firms have stores located along the same strategic route within the shopping centre as the Zara Man store, which connects to the American department stores Saks Fifth Avenue, Macy's and Bloomingdale's.

Inside the store, Zara has arranged a selection of products from its latest menswear collections. The atmosphere is refined and minimalist, dominated by colour combinations of black, white and stone grey. This aesthetic is elevated by a series of designer furniture pieces crafted from fine materials like wood and leather. The offering now has its own physical retail space in the US for the first time. Significantly, the store has been launched just in time for the strategic Christmas campaign.

“Zara Man inaugurates its first exclusive men's boutique in the US at South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa, one of California's most exclusive shopping centres,” the Spanish fashion chain stated. “The new space presents Zara's latest menswear collections through an avant-garde design concept that offers a personalised and seamless shopping experience.”

Upcoming openings in Rome and Osaka

Inditex began prioritising a new approach to developing its retail network with its 'Horizon 2022' strategic plan, presented in June 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic. The plan essentially involved a decisive commitment to larger, more interconnected stores to make its move towards omnichannel profitable. This led the Spanish fashion multinational on a seemingly irreversible journey towards the 'concentration' of retail points. This strategy has been widely debated, especially regarding its impact on staff members. Another major casualty was the chain's network of exclusive menswear stores. As a result of the controlled closure and 'absorption' of retail points that began in 2020, the vast majority of Zara's stores dedicated exclusively to menswear were closed.

Given the direction Inditex's commercial development strategy was taking for Zara, it seemed clear that the Spanish multinational intended to abandon the format of stores dedicated exclusively to menswear. This appeared to be the case until the opening of the new Zara Man store on Calle de Hermosilla in Madrid in November 2024. The boutique, in the truest sense of the word, opened its doors to introduce the world to Zara's new 'Zacaffè' coffee shop format, which the chain then aimed to roll out worldwide. It also marked the beginning of a new development phase for the Zara Man retail network. The chain added a retail point in Zurich to this series of unique establishments last March, and has already announced new openings in Rome and Osaka. Just a few days ago in Osaka, Zara strengthened its presence with a new flagship store exclusively for womenswear and kidswear, featuring the first Zacaffè by Zara in Japan.

“This latest boutique follows the Zara Man openings in Madrid and Zurich, with additional new boutiques to open in Rome and Osaka,” Zara announced. They highlight that this opening “marks a new step in the brand's global expansion strategy, while also reflecting Zara's ongoing commitment to innovation in its store formats, adapting to the constantly evolving preferences and lifestyles of its customers.”