The owner of Zara, Bershka, Stradivarius and more, Inditex, has continued to see its sales grow through its store-led strategy.

As the world’s largest fashion retailer, the Spain-based Inditex began its financial year with US$10.1 billion in sales in its fiscal first quarter. These sales led to $1.6 billion in net profit. The two figures rose by 5.75 per cent and 5.36 per cent, respectively.

The group ended the quarter with 5456 stores, 1495 of which are Zara, down from 5562 at the same point last year.

“The growth of the group is underpinned by the continual investment in our store network, the advances made to the online sales channel and the improvements to the logistics platforms, with a clear focus on innovation and technology,” Inditex said.

Inditex’s store network in Asia centres around its Zara, Massimo Dutti, and Zara Home brands. Online, it has a significant presence in the region with Pull and Bear, Bershka, Stradivarius, and Oysho.

“Inditex operates in 215 markets with a low share in a highly fragmented sector, and we see strong growth opportunities,” the group added. “Optimisation of stores is ongoing, and we expect this to drive further gains in store productivity.”

The group expects to grow its retail floorspace by around 5 per cent in 2026, with capital expenditure of $2.7 billion earmarked over the next three quarters.