Zara to ship online orders from stores

Global fashion giant Zara is looking to speed up delivery of online orders even further still by shipping from stores, in a move that will also mean it will fully capitalise on in-store inventory.

Chairman of its parent company Inditex, Pablo Isla, said the move was part of its strategy to seamlessly merge its retail stores with its online function. He added that the ability to deliver quickly greatly enhanced the chances of achieving a full-price sale, since if a product was out of stock online it could be shipped from a nearby store.

Speaking to the Wall Street Journal, Isla said:  "This is something very, very strategic for us, this idea of full integration between store and online stockrooms."

The roll-out of the service is currently taking place in 2,000 stores in 48 countries with a full global roll-out expected by the end of the year.

This year the Spanish fast-fashion brand used its new store at Westfield Stratford in East London to demonstrate its vision for the future of retail. The store features many new omnichannel services such as the ability to order in store and have items sent home or order at home in the morning for pick-up the same afternoon.

In addition interactive mirrors equipped with RFID are able to detect the garment a customer is holding, enabling customers to see what a complete outfit will look like in the mirror and staff are equipped with iPads to advise customers and accept payments.

Alternatively customers can self checkout by confirming their items on-screen (the checkouts automtically recognise the items the customer is holding) and paying with their phone.