Inditex, returned to quarterly profit in the three months from May to July despite a 31 per cent fall in sales as the coronavirus crisis kept consumers away from city centre shopping districts.
Inditex, which also owns the Massimo Dutti and Bershka brands, said 98 per cent of its stores had reopened and that current trade showed a progressive return to normality with online sales growing sharply and store sales recovering.
Inditex reported a second-quarter net profit of 214 million euros ($253 million), beating the 96 million euro mean forecast from Refinitiv's SmartEstimate model, which is weighted towards more recent estimates and higher-ranked analysts.
It saw a 74 per cent jump in online sales in the first half, a trend seen at apparel retailers worldwide, as shoppers bought from home with many stores closed and movement restrictions in place.
