Zara’s parent company, Inditex, launches its budget chain Lefties in France

The Spanish fashion group Inditex opened the first store of its low-cost brand Lefties in France on Thursday. The chain aims to respond to the rise of ultra-fast fashion, while Zara positions itself slightly higher in the market.

European rollout

Lefties’ first French store opened last Thursday at the Valvert Croix Blanche shopping center in Essonne, about an hour from Paris. It won’t stop at just that one store: Inditex is rolling out the budget chain across Europe. The brand is already present in Spain, Portugal, Italy, Romania, and Turkey, among other countries, and will open its first stores in the UK, Germany, and the Netherlands later this year.

Lefties positions itself as a more affordable option than Zara, which has positioned itself somewhat higher in the market in recent years. The budget brand is a direct response to the rise of ultra-fast-fashion brands such as Shein. The product range includes women’s fashion, children’s clothing, baby clothing, men’s fashion, home accessories, and shoes, with an emphasis on basics and essential clothing at very low prices, such as T-shirts for 3.99 euros and dresses for 15.99 euros.