At the leading edge of research are the sales associates and store
managers in Zara stores, who zap orders on customised handheld
computers over the Internet to Zara headquarters based on what
they see selling. And not just orders, but ideas for cuts, fabrics or
even a whole new line. They draw upon customer comments, or
even a new style that a customer might be wearing that could be
copied for Zara's stores. Traditional daily sales reports can hardly
provide such a dynamically updated picture of the market.