Spanish retail giant halts operation of three brands

International brands in the Macau SAR have seen their business affected by the pandemic, and some have decided to close their business here.
A Spanish clothing company that owns several brands in the city has confirmed to the Times that at the moment it is operating four brands, implying that three of its brands in the city have stopped operating.
Inditex Group owns several brands including Pull&Bear, Massimo Dutti, Bershka, Stradivarius, Oysho, Zara and Uterqüe.
In a reply to the Times, the retail giant said, “Inditex is operating in [the] Macau SAR through five stores of four brands (Zara, Massimo Dutti, Oysho and Zara Home) and through zara.com.”
The group’s Pull&Bear, Bershka, and Stradivarius stores at The Venetian all held clearance sales late last month.
At the moment, these three stores are closed.
Pull&Bear and Bershka were opened in the city back in 2009, according to the group’s website.
The Times contacted the Spanish retail group to confirm the duration of the closures, however the company did not reveal whether it would reopen the three closed stores in the region.
“The company is firmly committed to keep offering its customers the highest quality fashion inspired by their preferences, as well as continue to invest in innovation and in technology of the finest retail spaces in order to reinforce its efficient multi-functionality to enhance the customer experience,” the group told the Times.
“For instance, in its 2,000 square meter Zara stores at Cotai Sands Central and The Venetian, which present the full range collections of the brand for Woman, Man and Kids,” it added.
Inditex has been operating in Macau since it opened its first Zara store in 2007 at The Venetian, along with the opening of Massimo Dutti.
The pandemic has caused severe damage to businesses in the SAR, as Macau’s big spenders, who are from mainland China, cannot travel to the city due to travel restrictions imposed by the central government.
To prevent the spread of Covid-19, the central government stopped issuing group visas and Individual Visit Scheme (IVS) visas. This means that only those with existing IVS visas are allowed to enter Macau.
Visitor arrivals in Macau fell 95.6% year-on-year in February due to Covid-19, while March arrivals fell by 93.7%. The drop continued in April as Macau saw a 99.7% year-on-year drop in tourist arrivals.
Other international brands, including Italian luxury group Prada had previously decided to temporarily close some stores in mainland China and Macau, calling the situation “unprecedented.”