Martin Lewis: Don't shop at Zara before you go to Spain, Greece, France or Italy
If you're one of the millions planning a trip to Spain at some point this summer, stop shopping at Zara right now. The giant Spanish fashion brand sells clothes in its native country far cheaper than here, so wait until you get there if you're planning on buying something. It's also often cheaper, though not as much of a difference, in other countries where you pay in euros too.
The price difference is enormous. The pound price is often higher than the euro price before you even convert the currency (which further cheapens the euro price).
And while you can't get English delivery from its Spanish website, the big boon is it gives you the option to select 'English' as the language – and the websites in other countries are almost identical – so you can easily browse in advance for pricing research purposes.
And this isn't just about Zara. Similar pricing structures apply for other members of the same group, like Massimo Dutti and Pull & Bear.
From the Spanish website (English language selected)
Leather Maxi City Bag – 199 EUR
From the UK website (at the same time)
Leather Maxi City Bay – 219 GBP
Converting at the card rates used by Visa and Mastercard, this shows the pound cost of this bag is currently £173. In other words, it's £46 cheaper than the same bag bought in the UK.
Zara UK | Zara Spain & Zara Greece | Zara France & Zara Italy | |
|---|---|---|---|
Women's ZW Collection limited edition embroidered bead dress | £89.99 | €89.95 which is | €99.95 which is |
Men's comfort suit blazer | £79.99 | €69.95 which is | €79.95 which is |
Men's viscose / linen kimono shirt | £49.99 | €39.95 which is | €39.95 which is |
Men's washed leather cropped fit jacket | £149 | €129 which is | €149.00 which is |
Kids' gingham and embroidered lemon top | £16.99 | €15.95 which is | €17.95 which is |
Kids' limited edition cable knit jumper | £42.99 | €39.95 which is | €45.95 which is |
Leather maxi city bag | £219 | €199 which is | €219.00 which is |
So from this small sample, it shows that on average prices are 22% cheaper in Spain and Greece than the UK. In France and Italy, the discount was 13%.
If you were planning a big Zara shop, it may cover the flight cost
When I first wrote this blog in 2014, I found a Ryanair flight to Santander in Spain (not the bank) for £42 return (hand luggage only). So it was actually cheaper to jump on a plane to Spain and buy the jacket there – though of course add in airport transport and hotel costs and it skews the equation.
Even now, though flight prices are higher, there's a chance that may happen. Off-season for Zara fetishists who regularly stockpile (especially if for a family, and perhaps taking orders for friends too), there will be circumstances where the saving on the clothes can cover a chunk of the cost.
This is especially powerful as Zara rarely gives out vouchers or discount codes. To get reductions, you're reliant on waiting for things to move into the sale – so there are only limited opportunities for reductions on full-price goods (and sale prices are cheaper in Spain too).
Do pause though to think of the environmental impact of flying, and of overbuying fast fashion. I wouldn't suggest you do a trip just for this, more that if you're going anyway and need to buy, take advantage.
If you spot a euro price on British labels, don't assume it's the Spanish price
Rather interestingly, when I first wrote the blog I noticed there was no homogenised euro price. As you can see on the table above, the French and Italian prices in euros are more than the Spanish and Greek ones.
So if you see a tag with a pound and euro price on in the UK, don't assume it's the Spanish/Greek price, it's probably the more expensive French/Italian one (though still likely cheaper than the UK cost).
Do let me know what you find the price difference to be, and if ever (here's hoping) the UK price is cheaper.
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