Zara, which opens at Beachwood Place mall on Nov. 2, will be the Spanish retailer's first store in Ohio, joining seven other boutiques and specialty shops at the shopping center.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- International fashion retailer Zara is opening its first Ohio store at Beachwood Place mall on Nov. 2, joining seven other boutiques and specialty shops that have recently opened at the upscale suburban shopping center.
Zara, founded in Spain in 1984 by Rosalia Mera and Amancio Ortega, raked in worldwide sales of $15.9 billion at more than 2,100 stores in 88 countries, including in U.S. cities like Los Angeles, New York, San Diego, Houston, and Las Vegas, according to Forbes. The best known brand of the Inditex fashion retail group, Zara ranks No. 53 on Forbes' list of the world's most valuable brands.
"Zara is renowned for its ability to develop a new product and get it to stores within two weeks, while other retailers take six months," Forbes said. When Rosalia Mera died in 2013, "she was the wealthiest self-made woman in the world with a fortune estimated at $6.1 billion."
Zara's website said its designers and customers "are inextricably linked. Specialist teams receive constant feedback on the decisions its customers are making at every Zara store. This feedback inspires Zara's creative team which is made up of over 200 professionals."
With clothing for men, women and children, Zara's nearest stores to Ohio are in Chicago; Washington, D.C.; Bethesda and Towson, Maryland; and Arlington and McLean, Virginia.
Evereve, a casual contemporary boutique for "fabulous women and hot mamas," features jeans, tops, dresses, skirts, shoes, and accessories. The store opened two weeks ago in the Nordstrom wing of the mall, next to The Buckle. Evereve also has a store at Crocker Park shopping center in Westlake, as well as six other stores in the rest of Ohio.
Ann Taylor, known for its tailored women's clothing in modern, feminine styles, just opened a remodeled store on the first floor of Center Court, between Altar'd State and Banana Republic.
Founded in 1954, Ann Taylor operates 1,034 Ann Taylor, Ann Taylor Factory, LOFT, LOFT Outlet, and Lou & Grey stores in 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Canada.
Altar'd State, a women's boutique with clothing, accessories and home decor, just opened on Level 1, near the Center Court, between Ann Taylor and Victoria's Secret. Altar'd State is also planning a second Northeast Ohio store at Summit Mall in Akron.
Alex & Ani, an eco-conscious, earth-friendly, made-in-America retailer of bracelets, necklaces, earrings, watches and rings, was founded by Chief Executive and Chief Creative Officer Carolyn Rafaelian. The store is on Level 1 of the mall, next to Francesca's.
Francesca's, next to H&M near the Cedar Road entrance of the mall, sells dresses, clothing, jewelry, shoes, and gifts.
M.A.C. Cosmetics, which stands for Make-Up Art Cosmetics, says it offers more than 100 shades of makeup for all ages, all races, and all sexes. "Makeup artist and photographer Frank Toskan and salon owner Frank Angelo became frustrated by the lack of makeup that photographed well, so they decided to create their own. At first, they made the cosmetics in their kitchen and sold them straight from the salon to fellow makeup artists, as well as models and photographers," according to its website. M.A.C. is now sold in more than 105 countries worldwide.
M.A.C., on level one near Center Court, between Aldo shoes and The Art of Shaving, also has a store at Crocker Park in Westlake, as well as counters inside Dillard's in North Olmsted, and in the Macy's on West Market Street in Akron.
Woop Bubble Tea, founded in Beachwood by a couple friends who discovered bubble tea in college, has opened in a kiosk on the second floor of the mall, near the south entrance.
"We primarily serve bubble tea, a Taiwanese speciality invented in 1980s alongside a variety of top-of-the-line smoothies and slushes," Woop says on its website. Its beverages range from "fruity flavors and cool toppings for trendy teenagers" to "our extremely rejuvenating tea brews with floral flavors for adults."
"As the premier shopping destination for Cleveland, we are always evolving and look forward to delivering key brands that customers have come to expect from us," said Neisha Vitello, senior general manager for Beachwood Place mall, in a statement.
Beachwood Place is owned by General Growth Properties Inc., an S&P 500 company based in Chicago that owns, manages, leases and redevelops retail properties throughout the U.S.