The oldest Zara store in the world will close permanently on January 30th, putting an end to a space that marked the beginning of the largest European textile group. The decision was taken by the Inditex group and involves the historic unit located on Calle Juan Flórez, in A Coruña, where the brand opened its doors for the first time in 1975.
The closure comes despite the store having recently undergone renovation, carried out last year as part of the brand’s 50th anniversary celebrations. Even so, management concluded that the space no longer corresponds to the group’s current commercial model.
According to the ECO news portal, the decision to close the first Zara store has already been communicated to both the building’s owners and the 11 workers who work there. Employees will be transferred to other brand stores in the city, and no layoffs are expected associated with the closure.
Despite its historical value, the store is considered too small by Inditex’s current standards, which is increasingly focusing on large stores, with strong technological incorporation and integration between physical and digital channels.
This logic has been applied consistently in recent years, with the closure of older units and the concentration of operations in larger stores with greater logistical response capacity.
Where Zara was born and the Inditex group grew up
It was in this store on Calle Juan Flórez that Amancio Ortega opened, on May 9, 1975, Zara’s first commercial space, after already producing women’s clothing at the Confecciones GOA factory.
The same source states that success was almost immediate, leading the founder to open a second store a few months later, on December 1st of the same year, on Calle Torreiro, also in A Coruña, consolidating the embryo of what would become a global group.
A closure followed by a new bet
According to , the day following the closing of the historic store will mark the beginning of a new project in the city center. Inditex will open a Zacaffé café in a space located on Rua Compostela, with an entrance via Plaza de Mina.
According to the same source, this concept is already present in other Zara locations, namely on Calle Hermosilla, in Madrid, as well as in several cities in China and Japan, as part of a strategy to diversify the experience associated with the brand.
The end of a cycle without erasing the memory
The website explains that, although the historic store no longer operates, the symbolism of the space remains associated with Zara’s identity and Amancio Ortega’s business history, and is often highlighted as a landmark in contemporary European retail.
The closure reflects a broader transformation in the sector, where the weight of history coexists with demands for scale, efficiency and innovation, dictating choices that redefine the commercial map of major global brands.
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