Zara Opens First North Carolina Location at Charlotte SouthPark Mall

Zara opened its first North Carolina store Thursday at SouthPark Mall in Charlotte. The Spanish fashion retailer's debut in the state came earlier than expected. The 29,000-square-foot location opened at 10 a.m. on Dec. 4, ahead of its planned 2026 launch.

The two-story shop sits near Belk department store. Gap and J.Crew used to occupy this space. It sells fast-fashion clothing and accessories for women, men, and children.

"We've been counting down the months to the opening," Kelly Scott of Charlotte said, according to The Charlotte Observer on Wednesday before the launch.

Yolanda Marant of Charlotte screamed when she saw the lights on and doors open during a preview. She's shopped at locations in Europe and likes the open feel of the shops and clothes. "That made my day," she said.

The ground floor features women's and men's sections with neutral tones, natural wood finishes, and stone tile. An escalator or elevator leads to the second floor, which has more women's clothing, a children's section, and 22 fitting rooms. Collections are organized from sophisticated to everyday wear.

The Spanish-based company has 250 clothing designers at its headquarters in Arteixo, Spain. Amancio Ortega opened the first shop 50 years ago in A Coruña, Spain. The brand now operates more than 100 locations across 26 states with 6,000 employees.

New products arrive twice a week. When an item's inventory sells out, it won't be restocked. The most expensive item in the women's collection for opening day? A faux fur patchwork coat at $265.

Women's sizes run from 0 to 16. Men's tops range from small to XL, with some going up to XXL. Trousers are sized 28 to 36. Children's clothing and accessories cover infants to age 14.

The Charlotte location has self-checkout stations, real-time inventory browsing, and two-hour in-store pickup for online orders. Customers use a QR code at the pickup window, which can hold up to 650 packages. The second floor includes clothing recycling and donation containers.

The facility has 90 full- and part-time workers. Parent company Inditex is investing 1.6 billion euros in expanding stores and warehouses worldwide, including at least 10 new U.S. locations.

Hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday through the holidays. SouthPark mall is at 4400 Sharon Road in South Charlotte.