Spanish clothing retailer Inditex Group, which owns the Zara, Bershka and Stradivarius brands, is preparing to reopen stores in Ukraine in early April 2024. Inditex informed its landlords about this, reports the Financial Times.
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In total, Inditex plans to open 50 out of 84 stores in Ukraine. The retailer made this decision after months during which Ukrainian media and retail representatives bombarded him with questions about when he would reopen his stores.
The resumption of work will begin with 20 stores, including in shopping centers in Kiev.< /p>
The company noted that Inditex will prioritize the safety of employees and customers and adapt its plans to market circumstances. Some Ukrainian employees have already been sent to Poland for training in preparation for returning to work.
Store closures
The company closed its 84 stores in Ukraine on February 24, 2022, the day of the full-scale Russian invasion. Inditex owns the brands Zara, Bershka, Pull & Bear, Stradivarius, Uterque, Oysho and Massimo Dutti.
Since then, the company has stopped supplying goods to the country, but has continued to pay taxes and salaries to its 1,000 Ukrainian employees, although the majority of them were at home without work. Inditex maintained lease agreements with landlords when closing stores, but did not disclose under what terms.
It should be noted that a further 34 Inditex stores that will remain closed are in war-affected parts of southern and eastern Ukraine. The Ukrainian government has banned commercial activities.