Inditex-owned budget fashion brand Lefties will open its first UK store in Liverpool at the end of August, the company announced this week. The retailer will set up shop in Liverpool ONE, the largest open-air shopping centre in the UK.
Further stores are planned: one at Lakeside shopping centre in Essex in early October and one in Gateshead's Metrocentre in November. Both Lakeside and Metrocentre already host several Inditex brands as well as Primark, Lefties' biggest rival.
Possible London locations
Two possible London locations have been identified: Oxford Street, which is set to be pedestrianised, and Westfield London in White City. However, Lefties global director Xavier Ruz has reportedly said the retailer was 'not in a hurry to open a lot of stores' and planned to learn from its first three UK locations before expanding further.
About Lefties
Founded in 1993, Lefties originally operated as an outlet for Zara's last season stock – hence the name. It currently has stores in Spain, Portugal, Italy, Turkey, Morocco, the UAE and more. The Gateshead store is expected to be 50,000 square feet, selling womenswear, menswear, homeware, accessories and footwear.
Lefties is far cheaper than Zara. The Spanish website offers dresses from around £8 and basic tees from £5, compared to Zara's basics starting at £12.99.
Primark's competition
Primark reported a 6% increase in sales in 2024, from £9 billion in profits in 2023 to £9.44 billion. However, it faces pressure from fast-fashion rivals such as Shein and Temu, with parent company Associated British Foods Plc projecting a levelling out in sales for the second half of this year.
Lefties and Primark already compete in Spain, Primark's second-largest market. Lefties also plans to expand into the Middle East and North Africa, and relaunch in France.
