Brisk autumn start for world’s largest clothing retailer

Inditex, the world’s biggest clothing retailer, reported a brisk start to the autumn season yesterday after first-half profit rose by a quarter, sending its shares more than 3% higher.

The Spanish group, owner of the Zara brand, said sales in local currencies in the six weeks to September 10 jumped 16%, far outpacing the 1% growth rival Hennes & Mauritz saw in August, which it blamed on unseasonably warm weather in much of Europe.

Because Inditex sources its garments closer to where it sells them than most rivals, it is able to respond more quickly to changing demands, and even changing weather.