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Zara founder Amancio Ortega is a mysterious billionaire if ever there was one. For a few fleeting moments on October 23, 2015, he reigned as the richest man in world with a net worth of $79 billion, but was quickly dethroned by Bill Gates later that same morning. Quite the honor for an entrepreneur you’ve probably never heard of — and why’s that? Well, Ortega is known for keeping a low-profile. He never gives interviews, which of course only adds to his mystique.
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Kate Middleton is legitimate royalty, and she loves Zara. She could get her hands on any product from any designer — for free, too! — but here she is, trolling for deals at our fave chain. For example, the necklace she’s wearing in the image to the right..? Crown Jewels? Nope, it’s ZARA! I mean, if it’s good enough for the Duchess of Cambridge…
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There are more than seven-times the amount of Zara stores in Spain than there are in America. It’s a Spanish brand, so I guess that makes sense — but doesn’t it already feel like there are a TON of Zara stores in the U.S.? Well, that’s an illusion, because there are only 62 Zara stores in the entire country, a small figure when compared to the 451 in Spain!
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When founded in 1974, Zara went by a different “Z” moniker, Zorba. But a local bar in the area had the same name and both establishments agreed that it should be singular. At this point, the fledgling clothing brand had already made the mold for the letters in its sign, so a new name posed an economic problem. To simplify matters, the company decided to just change the order of the pre-established letters. Thus, ZORBA became ZARA.
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If you haven’t noticed, Zara doesn’t really advertise. The brand saves money on big campaigns and instead shells out on the best real estate for its stores.
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Zara produces 11,000 different designs per year. To put that into perspective, most fashion retailers produce between 2,000 and 4,000 designs annually. Not only does this give Zara customers a wealth of options, but it also puts the pressure on impulse-buys. Merchandise moves quick so prospective buyers don’t have a lot of time to think over their purchase. Smart move, Zara!
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