Their flexibility is also based on rapid response and extensive use of information and
communication technologies. At the end of the day as the customers leave their 950 stores
around the world the sales staff use wireless handsets to communicate inventory levels to the
store manager who then transmits this intelligence back to Spain as a feed into the design
order and distribution system. This gives an up-to-the- minute idea of what is selling – and
what isn’t, so the stores can be highly responsive to customer preferences – which colours
‘work’, which themes are popular, which designs aren’t hitting the spot. But it’s not just
following the market – Zara also push the game by making sure that no model is kept on sale
for more than four weeks – no matter how well it is selling. This has a strong impact on their brand – they are seen as very original and design-led – but it puts even more pressure on
their ability to be agile in design and manufacture.