FT: Zara fashion retailer to return to Ukraine this year
The Spanish fashion giant Zara is preparing to reopen its stores in Ukraine following the two-year closure amid Russia's full-scale invasion, according to the Financial Times report on March 1, referring to the company’s statement.
In October 2023, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that Kyiv was working to bring back global brands like H&M, IKEA, and Zara, which ceased operations in Ukraine after the all-out war started.
Spanish company Inditex, the owner of the Zara, Bershka, Pull & Bear, Stradivarius, Uterque, Oysho, and Massimo Dutti brands, will open some stores in Kyiv as soon as in early April, FT reported.
The company has informed its landlords that the retailer plans to reopen 50 of 84 stores in Ukraine.
The remaining stores are located in parts of the east and south of Ukraine directly affected by Russia’s war, where the Ukrainian government prohibited commercial operations, according to FT.
The company noted that ensuring the safety of both employees and customers is a top priority for Inditex, and it wants to adapt its plans to market circumstances.
"Some Ukrainian staff have already been sent to Poland for training in preparation for their return to work," FT reported.
Zara's parent company ceased operations also in Russia shortly after the all-out war began, though it did not rule out returning if the circumstances chage.
H&M reopened shops in Ukraine in November 2023. The Swedish fashion retailer first opened in Kyiv in August 2018 and closed due to the full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Robin Brooks
