Zara Home opens first Portuguese for&from store

Zara Home has opened its maiden for&from store, the Inditex Group initiative designed to integrate persons with disabilities into society and the labour force, in a new market for the initiative: Portugal.

The new establishment, under the management of the VilacomVida Association, is located in the Freeport Lisboa Fashion Outlet in the town of Alcochete, close to the Portuguese capital, and has more than 150m2 of floor space for displaying and selling prior-season Zara Home collections.

The inauguration of the Zara Home for&from in the Freeport Lisboa Fashion Outlet makes Portugal the third country to welcome this retail format. There are now 16 for&from stores which between them have generated employment opportunities for over 750 people with different abilities and more than €8 million for the charitable work done by the various managing organisations.

for&from

The new Zara Home for&from store aspires to create a beneficial environment for the store’s staff - currently made up of 17 people with different types of physical, sensory and intellectual disabilities - so as to facilitate their integration into society and the labour force.

After an initial donation by Inditex for the stores' construction, the model becomes self-sufficient thanks to the sale by the charities of prior-season products at reduced prices.

The profits are reinvested in the projects run by the network's various partner charities, in this instance the VilacomVida Association. As a result, the stores become banner retail premises for inclusion, accessibility and the elimination of barriers.

Partnership with VilacomVida

“Since the beginning, we at the VilacomVida Association have been working to create a more independent and happier future for youths with differing abilities. It is an honour to form part of this initiative which allows us turn our vision into a reality”, said Filipa Pinto Coelho and João Gomes da Silva, the founders of VilacomVida.

“We are grateful to the Inditex Group for choosing us to train the employees of this new Zara Home store and introduce the for&from concept into the Portuguese market. This partnership is an important endorsement of the work we are doing with these young people, particularly in projects like Café Joyeux”.

Store concept

The Zara Home for&from spans 150m2 dominated by natural materials and warm colours. One of the key materials is natural European oak combined with stone and pale-coloured finishes.

The meticulously-selected product range is displayed following the logic of a real home and its rooms. The collections are introduced in the central display units with alternative colours and designs shown around the edges of the store.

Note: The content of this press release has not been edited by Fibre2Fashion staff.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (HU)