Snag for Zara shoppers

Inditex, the owner of fastfashion chain Zara, will start charging Spanish shoppers for returning items bought online, mirroring a strategy it had previously rolled out in most of its other markets.

Customers in Spain will now have to pay €1.95 to return an order, unless they take it to a brick-and-mortar shop or thirdparty drop-off points where returns remain free. The fee applies for all Inditex brands, which include Pull & Bear and Massimo Dutti, according to a company spokesperson.

The A Coruna, Spain basedfirm, the world’s biggest clothing chain, had started charging for returns early in 2022 in countries where it has a smaller presence than in Spain, including the UK, France and the US. Spain accounted for 14.2% of the group’s overall sales from July 2022. Inditex rose as much as 1.7% to €29.3 in morning trade in Madrid. The shares are up 4.5% this year.

The shift to end free returns gained traction across the apparel industry last year as retailers sought to contain costs amid accelerating inflation across the globe. Spain was among the western European countries that recorded the highest inflation rate in the earlier part of 2022, having reached double digits during the summer months. It has since dropped to 5.8% in January, below most other nations in the region.

The strategy had been a headache for retailers as returns are costly because of the labour to have them shipped back, inspected and put up for resale.