Zara preparing to reopen stores in Ukraine - Reuters

Spanish retail giant Zara is preparing to reopen the stores in Ukraine that it shut soon after Russia's full-scale invasion of the country.

According to Ukrinform, this was reported by Reuters.

Zara's owner Inditex has told local landlords that it will begin reopening its shops in Ukraine in early April, according to the Financial Times.

The retailer plans to reopen 50 of its 80-plus stores in the country. The Spanish group will reopen gradually with 20 stores, including three Zara outlets, in Kyiv shopping centres, the FT report said, adding that the company will eventually open a total of 50 shops countrywide. Inditex could not say how long the process would take, the report said.

As noted, the 34 shops that will remain closed are in parts of south and east Ukraine directly affected by the war.

Inditex did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

As reported by Ukrinform, the Foreign Ministry of Ukraine is working with international companies to restore their operations in Ukraine that they suspended after the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion. Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba stated that these include “all basic brands”, such as IKEA, H&M, and Zara.