Inditex's financial results for the first nine months of exercise results in a solid company that seems to leave the pandemic and focuses on the new challenges.One of the areas where the Galician company does not stop harvesting successes is on its online channel.

Inditex sales from February to October 2021 have risen until 19.325 million euros, 37% more compared to the same 2020 period.In the same way, the benefit for these months is in the 2.500 million, 273% more than the previous year.In this way, the Galician company reaches its historical sales and benefit in a third quarter, the second consecutive after the period between May and July, when they already managed to be the highest of the company in a second quarter.

At this time the sales of their physical stores have improved.However, the apotheosic ascent of the online channel is especially striking.From the pandemic the digital sale of Inditex has not stopped growing.Specifically, this route, at a constant exchange rate, exceeds the first nine months of 2020 by 28%.Data that are even more spectacular if compared to those of 2019, overcoming the bar marked in that year in 124%.

The arteixo -based textile company expects to close the year with a level of online sales that represent 25% of the total sale of the year.Interestingly, this percentage was the goal they wanted to achieve for 2022.That is, Inditex has managed to advance its main digital goal more than 12 months.In that sense, Marta Ortega begins her stage as president with a part of the work already done.

Inditex Digitization Plan 2020-2022

However, Inditex was one of the companies that later began to enhance their online sale.But, despite the delay, their steps have been safe and in a few years they have managed to advance the rest of their rivals.The first to embark on the adventure of the digital sale was Zara Home.We had to wait until 2010 when the company still chaired by Pablo Isla decided.The last of its brands to join the digital store has been Lefties.In this way, all the firms of the Coruña company are already digitized.

Since they made that decision, the company has not stopped reaping successes.But, without a doubt, the decisive moment for Inditex was pandemic.Those companies that had implanted a good ‘ecommerce’ system secured their survival.This was the case of the company founded by Amancio Ortega.

However, Inditex decided to step further.Once Spanish society came out of confinement, the Gallegos accelerated in their online strategy.That is why the textile company launched a digitalization plan for the 2020-2022 period through which the company invested 1.000 million in promoting online sale.These efforts have paid off and Inditex has managed to cut the marked objectives for a year.

Online trade, priority for Ortega

Although the company has already reached the marked goal, Inditex is not characterized by complying with the houted successes.It is clear that the textile firm will continue to expand its online sales percentage throughout the following year.In addition, the company must reveal what its future digital strategy will be like.

All these challenges will be set by Marta Ortega once her stage begins as president on April 1.This is one of the main challenges of Amancio's daughter.Online sale is one of the first joys for heiress.However, it can become a nightmare if this business begins to fall.

Ortega's main challenge is not to grow these figures, but at least keep them.Although Marta has not yet spoken about how the new stage of Inditex, Óscar García Maceiras, CEO of the group, has already given some brushstrokes.«My first message for you is one of continuity of the strategic pillars of Inditex.We enjoy a unique business model, which completely integrates physical stores and ‘online’, and this unique feature will remain as one of Inditex's fundamental pillars.We are alone in an early stage of development of all this potential ».

Sustainability and ‘ecommerce’ are two of Inditex's pillars for their near future.That is why, most likely, the next president is already thinking that a line to continue to address these challenges and continue with the upward trend marked by Pablo Isla.