Cheaper Zara sister brand set to rival Primark with UK high street launch

From that polka dot dress to a new viral jacket for every season, Zara is a high street favourite.

But did you know the 50-year-old fashion favourite is part of a bigger family?

Parent company Inditex also owns popular brands like Bershka, Pull & Bear, and Massimo Dutti — as well as one you might never have heard of: Lefties.

Hailing from Spain, and with stores currently across Europe and the UAE, Lefties is set to rival the likes of Primark, with on-trend clothing at a budget price point.

Where will the first Lefties store open?

There are currently four UK locations being considered for Lefties’ UK debut, all of which could get a store next year.

There’s the Lakeside shopping centre in Essex, which is home to a Zara, Stradivarius, Pull & Bear, and, of course, the rival market of Primark.

Bluewater shopping centre in Kent is another location, which already houses many Inditex brands, and a Primark, too.

In the capital, there are two possible homes for Lefties, the first beingtheinternational shopping hub Oxford Street, which is set to be pedestrianised, or Westfield London in White City.

Inside Lefties

First opening its doors in 1993, the store was originally an outlet for Zara’s last season stock. Essentially, it was where the leftovers went – hence the name.

There are currently stores in the main cities of Spain, Portugal, Italy, Turkey, Morocco, the UAE, and more.

With lines for women, men, girls, boys, and babies – all with accessory and footwear collections, too – it has also branched out into homeware, sportswear, and underwear, leaving no stone unturned.

The new store is expected to be around 20,000 square feet, and when inside, you could easily mistake it for a Primark store, with a similar layout and clothing presentation.

While the UK website is not yet live, the Spanish site offers dresses from around £8 and basic tees from £5. It’s far cheaper than the likes of Zara, where basics start at around £12.99.

Primark’s competition

Primark is by no means a small fish in the fashion world, with a reported 6% increase in sales in 2024, taking it from £9billion in profits in 2023 to £9.44billion.

That’s not to say it’s not feeling increasing pressure from the likes of other fast-fashion retailers such as Shein and Temu, with Primark’s parent company Associated British Foods Plc projecting a levelling out in sales for the second half of this year.

The arrival of Lefties in the UK would certainly add another element of competition on the high street and online, although the two brands already compete in Spain, which is Primark’s second-largest market.

And the Lefties expansion won’t just stop in Britain, it’s planning on expanding into the Middle East and North Africa, as well as relaunching in France.

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