Zara Founder Worth $120B: 50 Years After Opening First Store

Zara pulled off something nobody thought possible. They got 50 of the world’s biggest supermodels together to sing the same song. The video drops May 9, marking exactly five decades since the first Zara store opened.

Names like Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista, and Christy Turlington headline the cast. But the list goes much deeper – from 1960s icon Twiggy to current favourites like Candice Swanepoel and Karlie Kloss.

Marta Ortega Pérez came up with the idea. As Inditex chair and daughter of Zara’s founder, she wanted something special for the milestone birthday.

“Creativity is the heart of Zara,” she explains.

Hometown Tribute

While the film showcases global star power, Zara hasn’t forgotten where it started. The company transformed its original store on Calle Juan Flórez in A Coruña into an anniversary showcase.

This is where Amancio Ortega made his retail debut after running clothing manufacturer Confecciones GOA since 1963. One small shop on a Spanish street became the starting point for a global fashion empire.

Today, at 89, Ortega is the 12th richest person in the world with a net worth of about $120 billion. He’s still regularly seen at the head office chatting with staff. One small shop on a Spanish street became the starting point for a global fashion empire.

Numbers Tell the Story

Today’s Zara looks nothing like that 1975 startup. The brand now sells in 98 countries with physical stores and reaches 214 markets online.

More than 300 designers work on collections that change constantly based on what customers actually buy. Real-time sales data flows back to design teams who can adjust quickly.

Digital Strategy That Works

Zara’s online approach follows the same rule as its fashion – keep it simple. The brand uses six main social platforms but doesn’t try to be everywhere at once.

Instagram gets the magazine treatment. Every post looks like it belongs in Vogue. High-quality photos showcase new collections without flashy advertising.

TikTok targets Gen Z with trend-focused content. The brand lets younger customers create their own videos rather than pushing hard sales messages.

YouTube offers behind-the-scenes content and short fashion films. Pinterest helps shoppers discover outfit ideas during the browsing phase.

The strategy creates scarcity instead of flooding feeds with ads. Limited-time drops build urgency that matches the fast-fashion model perfectly.

Digital Transformation Shows Results

Zara’s online sales hit $54.8 billion in 2023, recovering from pandemic peaks. The US drives 23% of online revenue, followed by UK at 11.1%.

The brand closed 22.5% of physical stores since 2020. Remaining locations now work as distribution hubs with click & collect services and automated returns.

But competition is fierce. Shein projects $48 billion in 2024 sales compared to Zara’s $6 billion online target.

As we reported in our recent article, Shein has become the dominant force in European fashion retail. The Chinese giant posted 31.6% annual growth with 48% December surge, while Zara managed just 4.4% growth. The gap between old and new fashion leaders continues widening.