During its 50th anniversary year, ZARA isn’t just celebrating, but also seizes the opportunity to raise its profile, like in Osaka. Here, the Spanish retailer has taken over the former store of Swedish brand H&M, measuring approx. 1,900 sqm. (20,451 sq.ft.) set across four floors of the redeveloped Shinsaibashi Zero Gate building in the bustling downtown shopping district of Shinsaibashi. The interior design, created by ZARA‘s in-house design team in A Coruña, in the Spanish region of Galicia, features the brand’s latest retail design codes, but interestingly, local design elements have been blended in as well. As such, shoppers will come across traditional tatami mats, Japanese clay walls, decorative noren curtains, all paired with hammered black metal and steel finishes, which harmonise history and modernity. And speaking of modernity, the design of the retail space is obviously fully aligned with modern standards.

As for the store design, ZARA‘s newest outpost features a cutting-edge energy efficiency system that embodies the company’s commitment to sustainability. A number of sustainability initiatives were implemented from the construction stage, including highly efficient air-conditioning systems, energy-saving LED lighting, and the use of environmentally friendly materials. And that’s not all. The retail space also integrates ZARA‘s internal energy management platform, dubbed Inergy, to centrally monitor air-conditioning and electricity usage. This allows for the identification of efficient systems, improved maintenance, and the development of strategies to reduce energy demand. Unsurprisingly, the all that nifty technology is also used to add to the overall shopping experience as it seamlessly integrates offline and online shopping.

Shoppers can use the ZARA online platform to locate products in the store, search inventory at other stores, and order online for in-store pickup in as little as two hours. Additionally, the store is equipped with convenient features such as a dedicated checkout area for returns, a customer service desk, a pickup counter for online orders, and a state-of-the-art smart checkout area that supports a smooth checkout process. Another trump card of this ZARA store is Zacaffè, the retailer’s hospitality concept which was first introduced at the brand’s dedicated men’s store in Madrid. Following the Spanish capital, Nanjing, Seoul and Kuwait, this is the fifth ZARA store worldwide with a café on the premises. Designed by Paris-based design practice Art Recherche Industrie, the setting sees a counter clad in wooden tiles from Nara prefecture and flooring of pebble tiles, oozing a rustic serenity.

Mind you, the wall lighting, seating, tableware and staff uniforms have all been designed exclusively for the café. The ground floor of the ZARA store presents various womenswear collections in understated settings where dark walnut wall panels is paired with large stone tiles, black furnishings and a variety of Mediterranean props. One floor up, additional womenswear can be found, in addition to a dedicated section for shoes and bags. This area showcases a carefully curated selection of special collections, including leather items, highlighting the beauty of its texture and design. The design concept also incorporates doma, or ‘earthen floor’, concept of Japanese architecture. The third floor is home to vintage-style collections, presenting outfits inspired by the styles of the 1980s and 1990s in a sleek, understated setting of stainless steel. © superfuture