When will Zara stores re-open?

(Image credit: 2020 Ely Pineiro)

It seems strange to think about going out to shop for items other than groceries, however clothing shops are set to open very soon, this month in fact, and yes, that includes Zara.

In France, when Zara re-opened on the 14th May, there were queues around the block, and given the UK's love of the high street store, it's likely to be the same here.

So when exactly will you be able to shop there? From the 15th June according to the Government.

It announced last month that, 'all other non-essential retail including shops selling clothes [...] will be expected to be able to reopen from 15 June if the government’s 5 tests are met and they follow the COVID-19 secure guidelines, giving them 3 weeks to prepare.'

Those three weeks will help retailers make their shops safe for shoppers, which might include a one-in-one-out system, as well as plastic windows at the checkout and contactless payment.

'Businesses will only be able to open from these dates once they have completed a risk assessment, in consultation with trade union representatives or workers, and are confident they are managing the risks. They must have taken the necessary steps to become COVID-19 secure in line with the current Health and Safety legislation,' the announcement said.

So provided that Zara stores comply with all these, you should be able to get your Zara fix IRL really soon, though of course you can still shop online.

It's worth noting that some chains are only opening certain branches to begin with, so it's worth checking whether yours is included to avoid a wasted journey.

Penny Goldstone

Penny Goldstone is the Digital Fashion Editor at Marie Claire, covering everything from catwalk trends to royal fashion and the latest high street and Instagram must-haves.

Penny grew up in France and studied languages and law at the Sorbonne Nouvelle University in Paris before moving to the UK for her MA in multimedia journalism at Bournemouth University. She moved to the UK permanently and has never looked back (though she does go back regularly to stock up on cheese and wine).

Although she's always loved fashion - she used to create scrapbooks of her favourite trends and looks, including Sienna Miller and Kate Moss' boho phase - her first job was at MoneySavingExpert.com, sourcing the best deals for everything from restaurants to designer sales.

However she quit after two years to follow her true passion, fashion journalism, and after many years of internships and freelance stints at magazines including Red, Cosmopolitan, Stylist and Good Housekeeping, landed her dream job as the Digital Fashion Editor at Marie Claire UK.

Her favourite part of the job is discovering new brands and meeting designers, and travelling the world to attend events and fashion shows. Seeing her first Chanel runway IRL at Paris Fashion Week was a true pinch-me moment.