ZARA's online shopping interface is difficult to use and the shopping experience is the worst! In fact, there is "this purpose" behind it

"The ZARA website is very fashionable and beautiful, but it's really difficult to use. I can't even know how many colors a piece of clothing has to choose from," one netizen complained on Reddit.

The official website and mobile app of the fast fashion brand ZARA have been full of complaints on the Internet in recent years. Many users complained that it was "difficult to shop" and "can't find clothes". Some people bluntly said that the website is a "beautiful waste" ". In 2022, a survey of more than 150,000 online shopping consumers by Chattermill, a new customer analysis startup, pointed out that ZARA's website shopping experience was at the bottom.

Expert: The website is difficult to use but fashionable enough, allowing ZARA to become a "luxury product"

Click on ZARA's official website, and you will see a series of photos that could be placed on the cover of a fashion magazine. There is no particularly conspicuous and bright CTA (Call to Action) button. The entire interface is like an inside page of a fashion magazine.

In terms of user experience, as an e-commerce website that pursues conversion rates and should make it easier for consumers to consume, such an interface design can be said to be completely unqualified. However, marketing experts believe that it is this design that makes ZARA and "Luxury goods" create a connection and differentiate themselves from other fast fashion competing brands such as H&M, Shein, etc., presenting a higher-end brand image. This has successfully attracted consumers who are cost-conscious and unwilling to spend a lot of money on luxury goods, but who pursue a specific lifestyle.

In addition, cultural strategy scholar Tariro Makoni pointed out that ZARA's official website pays more attention to aesthetics in design than the overall shopping experience, which is imitating the website design of luxury brands; even its entire shopping process also copies luxury goods. The approach of the website is different from other fast fashion brands that are simple and direct, allowing users to directly add products to the shopping cart. ZARA allows consumers to check where the inventory is, what colors, sizes, etc. are available before purchasing a single product. "This kind of ‘treasure hunt' process allows consumers to put in the effort and feel that the value of the product is higher than it actually is," Makoni said.

Judging from the revenue numbers, this strategy seems to be really working. In recent months, the sales of luxury market leaders such as LVMH and Kering have shown no improvement —LVMH's stock price has fallen by 6% this year, while Kering's has fallen by nearly 35%. In contrast, Inditex, the parent company of ZARA, has The performance is outstanding, with sales growing by 10% in 2023 and maintaining growth momentum this year, with the stock price rising by 35%.

Consumer wallets have become thinner, which has become ZARA's biggest advantage

ZARA's growth momentum is not only closely related to its market positioning, but also to the current overall market environment and consumption habits.

Federica Carlotto, dean of the Department of Luxury Goods at Sotheby's Institute of Art, pointed out that in the current environment, prices have been rising and consumers' available balances have become relatively smaller, so consumers tend to buy products of acceptable quality. A relatively low-priced brand. ZARA's prices in the market are lower than luxury brands and higher than fast fashion competitors, which attracts aspirational shoppers who value brand luxury and have limited budgets.

For this group of consumers, buying ZARA can satisfy their longing for luxury brands without actually spending a lot of money; they want to connect their daily lives with their ideal self-image and share it with the outside world; compared to When selecting products, they care more about product quality, durability, and usage efficiency. They care more about their deep-seated consumer desires and the social status they convey.

ZARA's website design strategy and market positioning have successfully found a balance between luxury brands and fast fashion brands. Although this kind of interface design is not conducive to improving the shopping conversion rate, it effectively enhances the brand image and attracts consumers who pursue fashion and unique lifestyles. Such a strategy not only allows ZARA to stand out in a highly competitive market, but also proves the importance of brand image and consumer psychology in the modern retail industry.