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| image from Elle.co.za take a look at their review (here) |
THE PRODUCT: Great
The designs are classic Zara style and standard. Everything is on trend; lots of printed collared shirts, printed chiffon pants, neon blazers, studded everything and tons of neutral tone and textured clothing. The accessories department seemed okay and the shoes were definitely to die for! I pretty much fell in love with everything in store — besides the accessories. I had seen and purchased a few of the items in Dubai as well — that made me a bit sad though I must admit. There was a fun element in shopping overseas and bringing back different things. Not to worry though; since we're in the Southern Hemisphere the stock we receive is not the same as Northern Hemisphere stock, although some items may be similar. You can still expect to get different things in Europe and America on your next vacation.
The kids clothing is incredibly stylish! Since we don't have many stylish kids stores in South Africa this really excited me. I must admit I didn't go into the mens section — there were too many good-looking men in there and its Ramadan after all (ha ha).
THE PRICE: Disappointing
The one benefit about shopping Zara internationally is the prices are a lot cheaper... The South African prices of the items I purchased in Dubai are more than double the price here. It's really disappointing that we get amazing brands like Zara (and Mango) but we have to pay exorbitant prices. Im sure this has a lot to do with high import taxes in our country, nevertheless it's not fun paying more than we should.
THE SERVICE: Average
Considering the store was packed and it was the first official day of sales the staff handled the crowd quite well. I'd say in South African standards the service was quite good, although SA service completely stinks in general so I am not sure how good it really is. The floor manager seemed very catty and condescending when I asked her for help, but I'll give her a pass since she was most probably stressed. The staff at the counter and changing roomed seemed friendly although they may have been a bit inefficient because the check out and changing room queue was insanely long!
STORE DESIGN: Good
The store design is effective — highlighting the product clearly — it looks exactly like Zara everywhere else. One snag is that the place looked like a rummage sale as the staff weren't able to rehang and refold clothing fast enough as shoppers put them down. Im sure this will improve once the hype has died down a bit though. If you can pop in next week during the week it should be less overwhelming.
IS IT WORTH IT?
Its Zara, so yes it is worth the expense. The pricing is very similar to Country Road and Ternary's prices although the stock is completely different. There are a few reasonably priced items in store though and I presume the sales will make Zara affordable for everyone (especially those of us still being fed by the silver spoon). Personally I intend on buying something every now and then because it's not affordable enough for me to go on a crazy spree like I do when I am on vacation. The price of an average blazer is about 500ZAR and for a really amazing blazer its about 1500ZAR, which I personally think is a bit ridiculous since its much less abroad. I saw quite a few stunning, simple and reasonably priced items I'd like to go pick up though.
I hope you found this helpful, if you disagree with me in anyway lets talk! Comment your opinion below. If you know anything about SA import taxes and you'd like to educate us please feel free to comment too!
x x x
Aisha B
17 Comments:
Interesting. I definitely want to go pay a visit. I've just recently payed a visit to the one in Vegas and Los Angeles, so I would love to make the comparison between the 3.
Thank you for the heads up, awesome review.
xx
Liam
http://www.thelaconnection.blogspot.com
so interesting to get you opinion about it! I really want to go and check it out..but its always good to get an honest opinion about the store! thank you! xxx
The prices here are definitely outrageous!! Picked up a trench for R400 in Dubai..only to see it here for R2000. Totally ridiculous although it made my heart happy to have gotten it for a steal :)
Hi Aisha:)Was quite excited to visit Zara today and the clothes are all so stunning. The prices are not cheap but it is what I expected for an international brand as things are always more expensive in sunny South Africa, although this did not seem to bother anyone who visited today as people were shopping up a storm. As for the service, yes it was a bit disappointing. I felt that the staff were not properly trained and certainly could not handle the pressure today.Thanks for the post:)xx
Great review, Aisha! I'm from Joburg so when Zara opened in Sandton, I was also shocked by the prices. My mom shops all over the world and the Zaras overseas are not nearly as expensive as the Zaras here! I hope Topshop doesn't try to exploit us as well...
xo :)
Yeah, I totally agree with you. Was there today and I felt to overwhelmed. In Dubai it's more personalized and more exclusive. I don't mean to sound like a brat, but here it feels like it's a classier looking Mr Price and that's putting me off. However, in a couple of months time, it's going to be just like Mango. However, it's quite nice and I feel like if it wasn't so crowded then I would have enjoyed my experience more.
I've always been addicted to Zara.
www.aaronsdirtydiary.blogspot.com
I find the prices are pretty similar to European ones, but the quality is inferior and service is terrible (maybe because it was so packed?). Also, what is with the sizes! I went from a medium in Europe to an extra small in South Africa.....the Spanish must think we are huge down here!
Peroxide Blonde
http://theperoxideblonde.blogspot.com/
As the one who attended the media launch and got some insight on the overall brand and their identity, i disagree with you when you say their prices are similar to those of Country Road and Trenery, Zara's prices lean more to the Mango and Studio W price range and clothing quality, especially on their shoes, they are reasonable prices when you compare them to those of other international retailers.
And we should not expect them to be dirt cheap, they also need to make profit and cover overhead costs. So saying that their prices were more expensive than the ones in Dubai, you also need to take into account how much you paid for you to go overseas and shop at Zara and then compare that. afterall it is an international brand and we are also buying the label when we purchase a Zara item. So before you shoot them down look at the two sides of the coin. I would advice then to shop when they have a sale.
And about the store design (look) the day you went, you need to remember that the hype will subside and everything will be in its place. I have worked in retail and to neatly fold a clothing item only to have it messed up again is quite tedious
That was IN MY OPINION... open for discussion.
Great post Aisha! I must agree with you that it is quite expensive and being to Malaysia recently I can make the comparison that the Zara in Cape Town is WAY more expensive but like you said it's Zara so I agree that it is totally worth it. :) xx
Siki, your comment does not make sense at all. You might want to go back and read what Aisha is saying because you have basically repeated half the post using a few synonyms here and there.
Maybe you don't really take note of prices when you are out shopping or do not have a clear memory but Zara is indeed in a similar price range to Country Road. For example a country road jeans cost R700 and a Zara jeans cos R650. That means that the prices are similar. The prices might be 'reasonable'in your eyes but it is more expensive than these 'international retailers' around the world and that is a fact. I have been to Zara in LA, Vegas, Spain, France, Malysia and now Cape Town and I can confidently say that it is more expensive. This is not to say I won't shop there but just stating a fact.
Your comment is very defensive of the brand and you must understand that this is a review not a rainbow cake with some fluffy pink icing. Take your emotions and set them aside then make a proper judgement.
Oh and if you read above, Aisha does advise the readers to shop on sale. So I would advise you to read properly.
This is in no means attacking you, this is just my opinion on your comment.
Beautiful post Aisha, can't wait to see what you buy from Zara and how you wear these fab pieces.
xxx
Bilqees
The prices are to be expected. Taxes and all that. South Africa needs protect local economy.
In comparison its probably cheaper than a trip overseas while still having access to international fashion.
Local retailers will have to up their game in the fashion stakes, which is great.
So all in all: welcome Zara! Thanks for shaking things up a bit.
Great site you have here Aisha. I lived in Dubai for a while and shopped at Zara often - their clothing was stylish and reasonably priced compared to other brands. However I agree that it's ludicrous they're charging such exorbitant prices, I mean the quality is not THAT great. I have 3 items that looked worse for wear after a few washes and I didn't even wear them often. After the second wash I found a hole in one of my dresses even though I always follow washing instructions carefully. Honestly, taxes and profit has little relevance - as long as there's a market in South Africa for fashion like this, we're going to be charged heavily. I've also imported clothing and accessories from overseas... excellent quality, duties and taxes included and I paid a lot less than I would at Zara. And remember, Zara here will always be a season behind the rest of the world, but overcharge us they will.
Hi Aisha
I never comment on your site, but read it quite regularly.
I think you have given a fair and accurate review of Zara.
I think EVERYONE is disappointed by the prices. I had the same opinion as you after my initial visit to the store the day it opened. I was so excited to be there and shop and then looked at the prices and my heart sank once I realised all the money I saved was not going to be enough!
I would say certain items are in the same price range as country road and trenery but if you shop from TRF you can get jeans and pants for R329 and you can't get that at CR. Also I have been to the UK ZARA site to check out prices and convert them using XE Currency Converter and it is almost exactly the same. For example: I bought this printed cardigan for R1,199 and on the UK site it is GBP79.99 which converts to R1,060. If you take into account import costs and taxes etc. The price I paid was not really THAT bad considering all those factors.
We might not be able to buy a whole new wardrobe every time we go there but they do have stunning statement pieces.
Just my 2 cents - thanks for putting up a review so quickly. I actually read this ages ago but have been thinking of their prices after seeing the new CR collection and have changed my opinion about them.
Oh and I've been to the Durban store while it was on sale and the prices were not bad e.g. R499 top on sale for R329.
For having travelled all over,I've been to Zara in Singapore,Spain,London,USA,France etc. and wherever I've been the prices differ immensely!You're right import taxes are the main reason.Nonetheless,I as a South African living in Paris find the prices way more expensive in CT than here.I believe that since they're known to be an affordable store,they ought to take in consideration the cost of living in S.A.
On another note,your blog is awesome!I love your posts!And the picture of the café in Camps Bay just made me homesick!
Way to go!
Hi I agree... I just returned from Prague, and Zara comparatively in Prague, Madrid and Paris are definately cheaper than in CT.. Certain items are worth it always from Zara - such as winter coats, smart jackets and classic dresses and shifts. The cheaper clothes like T-shirts etc aren't expected to last forever - most are made in china, albania and turkey.. so I guess you can expect the quality to match those prices!
To bad they don't cater for a real XL. More mature women are normally not as skinny, and many of us are still fashionable, yet you have to hold your breath wearing Zara'a summer clothes if you are a size 36! They could seriously increase their market share if only they launched just one bigger size, allowing those with more spending ability to share in the style! Pricewise, it borders on being ripped off, fortunately I travel often and have the benefit of shopping at Zara abroad, at almost 50% less!!
I, like everyone else here, agree that Zara is much more expensive than overseas. Honestly though I'm disappointed with the stores here in SA. I've been to all 3 stores, CT, Jhb and Durban, and firstly I don't believe the quality of the clothing can demand that high a price, and secondly, the whole shopping experience is lacking somewhat. The staff need proper training in how to deal with customers. When I needed assistance I couldn't find a single person to help me. Yet to walk in with a trolley had a whole army of them come and tell me trolleys are not allowed in store. For a first impression it just didn't sit well with me.
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