Nina Jobst
Research expert covering South Korea
Inditex - statistics & facts
Industria de Diseño Textil, more commonly known as Inditex, is one of the largest clothing companies in the world. In fact, according to a 2024 ranking, Inditex had the fourth highest sales of any clothing and clothing accessories company worldwide. The company’s most famous brand is Zara, but it owns many other well-known high-street brands, such as Bershka and Pull&Bear, with stores around the world. The fast fashion company operates on a quick turnover of stock, with styles moving quickly from design to the shop floor.
Through rapid production of clothing items, Inditex manages to remain a key player on the fast fashion market, actively following trends as they happen in real time and turning them into accessible pieces for shoppers. While it may be fun to experiment and play with different styles for a small monetary price, this also has a big impact on the environment.
Fast Fashion
The fast fashion industry has faced criticism for its effect on the environment and working conditions in the supply chain, as a high volume of stock needs to be manufactured, often using harmful, synthetic materials. These products are then shipped all over the world. Leading European fashion companies produce a significant volume of greenhouse gas emissions. They also have extensive networks of factories that produce their garments. For Inditex, these factories are mainly located in Asia, but also in Europe, both within and outside the European Union.Inditex sales
Inditex made sales of approximately 39 billion euros in the financial year 2024. This was an increase of almost 3.5 billion euros compared to the previous year. With the exception of 2020, sales have consistently increased year-on-year. Most of Inditex’s sales come from Europe, where revenues were around double that of the rest of the world combined in 2024. The brand Zara was responsible for more than 70 percent of the company’s worldwide sales.H&M rivalry
Another significant player in the fast fashion world is the Swedish company, H&M. H&M Group generated 234 billion Swedish kronor dollars in sales in their 2023 financial year, which at the time of year-end was equal to roughly 21 billion euros. Zara and H&M have battled for the title of greatest brand value in recent years, with Zara coming out on top in 2024, with a brand value of approximately 17.8 billion U.S. dollars.Through rapid production of clothing items, Inditex manages to remain a key player on the fast fashion market, actively following trends as they happen in real time and turning them into accessible pieces for shoppers. While it may be fun to experiment and play with different styles for a small monetary price, this also has a big impact on the environment.
