Zara, one of the biggest fashion brands in the world today, is coming to the Mall of America at the end of 2016. This two-story store will be 30,000 square feet and located in the Central Parkway of MOA as the first Zara location in Minnesota. Opening just in time for the holiday season, Zara is a potential new spot for holiday shopping. It is the perfect place to find a present for friends, family, and significant others in the new expansive store.

There is clothing and accessories available for all, including men, women, and children. Zara is the most well known brand of the Inditex group, the largest apparel retailer in the world;  it was founded in Arteixo, Spain in 1975. Zara’s name has been growing steadily, and today there are over 2,100 stores in 88 different countries. The new “fast-fashion” industry has been dominated by Zara, which carries the newest and most updated styles and trends. This store stays at the top of the market because their clothing designers create trends by designing, developing, and producing new products in just two weeks, compared to the six month industry average. This enables the possibility of 10,000 new products each year, and new shipments of unique clothes weekly.

The fast turnaround at Zara is mostly due to the fact that they manufacture in Europe. The laborers, designers, and textile manufacturers are combined at one location, near the designers office. 21st century trends change at a rate that most large brands, who have to ship their clothing across multiple oceans, have no chance of following. The wages of these European workers are higher than laborers in developing countries, but the turnaround time is quick and sets Zara apart from every other retail store because their products come to the market faster.

Students at Edina High School have visited Zara in many places around the world including: New York, Chicago, London, Paris, Spain, Turkey, Italy, and Portugal. They have also seen or ordered Zara products online and many students are looking forward to the opportunity to visit a local store. Currently, there are less than 70 stores in the United States, the nearest store to us is currently located in Chicago, Illinois. “I am really excited about Zara opening in the Mall of America. I went to Zara in Italy and really loved the style,” said Holly Scheppers, sophomore. Her sentiment is shared by many fashion followers that have not had many opportunities to visit this world renowned store in person.

This metropolis is continually improving its options for trendy, chic, and international flair that Zara provides. It will be a welcomed addition to the Mall of America.