Zara boasts ANOTHER year of stellar sales growth

REVERSIBLE kimonos and sweaters embellished with faux pearls helped to drive bumper sales at Zara.

The Spanish fashion chain’s autumn and winter collections flew off the shelves in the first half of the year, with the company reporting a sales increase of 12pc.

Inditex, which owns Zara as well as teen label Bershka and underwear chain Oysho, said its profits for the period rose 9pc but its margins were hit by the stronger euro.

First-half net profits for the six months to July 31 were £1.2bn, slightly below expectations while earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation were in the region of £2bn.

Pablo Isla, Inditex’s chairman and chief executive, said the results underlined ‘strength and sustainability of the company’s integrated offline-online store model, which year after year continues to demonstrate its ability to deliver growth’.

It came off the back of retail surveys which said shoppers had been impressively resilient in the face of a squeeze on wages.