Italy’s fashion sector is at risk due to COVID-19 , stores of fashion companies in the country such as H&M, Inditex and Uniqlo have been closed.

Spanish group Inditex has 390 stores across Italy, of which 101 stores are that of Zara. Stradivarius, another Inditex brand, has 84 stores, followed by Bershka, which has 67 points of sale. Oysho, Zara Home, and Pull & Bear operate with 41, 33 and eight stores respectively. Inditex entered the Italian market in 2002 and the territory remains a key market for the company. H&M operates 181 points of sale and Primark has five stores.

Fashion sales in Italy are five per cent of the Gross Domestic Product. The country is home to many luxury brands such as Prada, Dolce & Gabbana, Versace, Armani, Valentino, and many more. Brunello Cuccinelli counts 15 stores in the country. Italy is currently the country that is most affected by the Covid-19 in Europe. The number of fatalities now amounts to more than 800 and the number of people infected has increased to 10,500. The situation continues to escalate with a nationwide lockdown. The shuttering excludes those that meet basic needs such as pharmacies, supermarkets, and food stores, as well as kiosks and tobacconists.