In the Catalan capital, the renowned clothing store Zara will open the third largest store in the world. The store will occupy an exclusive space (local number 16) on Passeig de Gracia avenue, one of the most disputed by the big brands.
Opening a store in this area is a guarantee of success due to the great image projection achieved in this commercial avenue. The best proof of this is that major brands such as H&M and Uniqlo have recently opened stores in this exclusive area.
Zara will have the third largest store in the world
With this opening, Zara is making progress towards its goal of opening the third largest store on the planet. This after extending the existing Gran Vía building to the site of the former Teatro Novedades.
The multinational seeks to transform this space. The goal is to increase the store’s current 2,500 m² of floor space (closed to the public for construction) to a total of 4,000 m².
The project is part of a macro hotel complex where a large building of the Meliá hotel chain will be built between 1 and 16 Casp Street. The luxury resort of the Meliá group will have 164 rooms. It is scheduled to open to the public in October 2020.
It will have several restaurants and a spectacular terrace overlooking the Plaza de Cataluña. But above all, a large foyer that will connect directly to the third largest store in the world, the pride of Zara.
The beginnings of the project
The project was nearly halted in mid-2015 due to a moratorium on the City Council’s approval of the hotel chain’s construction. The construction of the Zara megastore was also postponed.
Eventually the situation was resolved and the proposal continued to move forward. After that, more than two years ago, the excavators began their work with all their dynamism in the old Teatro Novedades (number 1 of Casp Street in Barcelona).
In this way and thanks to the continuous work, Zara de Paseo de Gracia is looking to open its huge store for the next Christmas campaign this year. Operators are working around the clock to make this expanded space a must-see for fans of the brand, generating a lot of expectation.
In the late 1990s the Zara store, which is being expanded to become the third largest store in the world, was occupied by U.S. music distribution company Virgin.
The Gran Vía building where the Zara store is located is owned by Amancio Ortega Gaona. Ortega is a leading Spanish textile entrepreneur and creator of Inditex and the Zara brand.
