Major cybersecurity incident hits Inditex, owner of Zara, as Oysho pivots to sportswear

Cybersecurity incident affecting Inditex

A serious cybersecurity incident has affected the Spanish fashion giant Inditex (Industria de Diseño Textil), best known worldwide for its flagship fast-fashion brands.

On Wednesday 16 April, Inditex - the world’s largest fashion retailer - said it had identified unauthorised access to databases hosted by a third party. Those systems held information related to transactions carried out by its customers. The group owns a wide portfolio of fast-fashion labels, including Zara, Pull & Bear and Stradivarius, as well as Oysho, Bershka and Massimo Dutti.

What data was involved - and what wasn’t

Seeking to reassure customers, the company stated that the affected information did not include any customer data such as addresses, passwords or banking details. It added that it had put security protocols in place and “alerted the relevant authorities” as soon as the intrusion was discovered. Reuters reported the news in the press.

Inditex, Zara’s parent company, also stressed that the security gap “results from an incident that affected a former technology supplier and impacted several companies operating internationally”. Management did not provide any further comment.

Inditex, Zara, and Oysho’s strategic shift into sportswear

Inditex at a glance

You may not be especially familiar with the Inditex group itself, but you will almost certainly recognise the brands it controls. Established in 1985 in Galicia by Amancio Ortega, it has since become the leading global player in fashion retail. Listed on the stock market in 2001, the company employs more than 170,000 people worldwide and operates in close to a hundred countries.

Oysho’s repositioning into sportswear and activewear

Inditex’s model is built on extensive vertical integration - from design through to sales - enabling it to refresh collections at a very fast pace. The group oversees eight chains, with Zara by far the most iconic, alongside Massimo Dutti, Pull & Bear and Bershka. In 2022, its revenue exceeded €32 billion, underlining its scale compared with rivals such as H&M.

In recent years, the group has placed particular emphasis on Oysho. After updating Zara’s logo, Inditex turned its attention to Oysho, a brand launched in 2001 in the world of loungewear and lingerie. Following a repositioning, the label moved into sportswear and activewear, becoming its “sport and leisure” brand. The pivot is intended to take on Lululemon and Alo, as well as brands that outfit runners and fitness enthusiasts.