Zara Has Closed More Than 600 Stores Since 2019 and Its Global Footprint Keeps Shrinking

Zara may still dominate online carts and city center shopping districts, but its physical store presence has been steadily contracting since the pandemic.

The fast fashion retailer, owned by Spanish apparel group Inditex SA, has closed hundreds of locations worldwide over the last several years. According to company earnings statements, Zara operated about 2,139 stores globally at its peak in the third quarter of 2019. By late 2024, that number had dropped to just under 1,800, a decline of roughly 16 percent.

New accounting disclosures from Inditex show the contraction is even deeper than previously reported. Earlier filings had bundled store counts from related brands into Zara’s totals. Under updated reporting methods, Zara’s standalone store count sat at 1,528 locations worldwide as of October 31. Company executives say the closures are intentional, not a sign of distress. Amaya Guillermo, who leads corporate communications for Zara USA, explained that the brand has been executing a long-term “optimization plan” designed to reduce smaller storefronts while investing in fewer, more advanced locations.

“Under this strategy, smaller stores have been absorbed into larger, upgraded locations,” Guillermo said. “Creating distinctive retail spaces allows us to enhance the customer experience by incorporating the latest in-store technologies, including assisted checkouts, among many other features.”

The shift has been most noticeable in Europe and Asia. Zara has significantly reduced its footprint in Spain, France, Germany, Italy, and other core European markets. China has seen some of the sharpest pullback, with store counts dropping dramatically compared to pre-2018 levels.

Even with fewer stores, Inditex says Zara’s overall commercial space has grown, and sales have continued to rise. The company reported a 2 percent increase in retail space as of 2024, alongside nearly 5.9 percent sales growth that year.

For Zara, closing stores is less about retreat and more about control, tightening its footprint while betting on scale, technology, and fewer but louder retail moments.