Zara owner Inditex is expanding its low-priced Gen-Z-focused brand Lefties in a bid to compete with its rapidly growing fast fashion rivals such as Shein.
The Spanish retail giant is increasing investment behind its Lefties brand, which sells £15.38 (€17.99) jeans, dresses for as little as £6.83 (€7.99), and £5.12 (€5.99) handbags.
The brand, which started off as an outlet for Zara leftovers, now has stores in 17 countries, including Egypt, Mexico, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and United Arab Emirates.
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According to Reuters, Inditex has been growing its value budget ranges in an attempt to counter the rapid growth of Shein, which sells clothes for as little as 99p.
Lefties is growing in its home market of Spain as well as in Portugal when many shoppers are trading down.
In Spain, where Lefties has around 25 stores, the brand has grown from around 3.5m customers in 2019 to 5m customers in 2023, putting it just behind Shein at 5.2m, according to data from market research firm Kantar.
Last year, the fashion retailer opened its first stores in Romania and Turkey, as well as increased its footprint in United Arab Emirates, where it operates through franchise partners.
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