Inditex expands its for&from platform for the inclusion for people with disabilities with a new Zara Home store in Portugal

/ Since 2002, the programme has generated job opportunities for nearly one thousand people with disabilities and over €9 million of profits for the managing organisations’ charitable projects.

Inditex has stepped up its commitment to the social and professional inclusion of people with disabilities with its second Zara Home for&from store in Portugal. The new establishment brings the Group’s for&from network to 17 stores across Spain, Portugal, Italy and Mexico. 

Since 2002, these stores have generated job opportunities for almost one thousand people with different disabilities and over €9 million of profits for reinvestment in social projects by the various managing organisations.

The newest Zara Home for&from, located in Vila do Conde, close to Porto, is managed by the VilacomVida Association, a non-profit organisation that fosters the inclusion and autonomy of people with intellectual and development disabilities. The new store’s staff is made up of 22 people, 15 of whom with some form of disability. The team reflects a wide variety of functional abilities, including people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, others with sensory disabilities, such as poor vision or hearing, individuals with motor disabilities and others with mental health issues.

The store spans nearly 300m² and sells prior-season collections in a welcoming, functional and accessible environment, framed by the brand’s natural and elegant aesthetic. 

for&from: a model for integration

for&from, with stores representing the Group’s various brands in Spain, Italy, Mexico and Portugal, strives to integrate people with disabilities into the workplace in partnership with expert local organisations.

All of Inditex’s for&from stores are managed by non-profit organisations specialised in the integration of people with disabilities and they all replicate the same model: starting from an upfront donation by Inditex to help get the store up and running, the establishments become self-sustainable through the sale of prior-season products at discounted prices; the profits generated go entirely to finance charitable projects organised by the partner charities. 

The programme continues to expand and upgrade its network of stores. Just this November, the Zara Home for&from store in Lisbon moved to a new premises within the same shopping centre, doubling its floor space and increasing the size of the team to 20 people, 14 of whom with some form of disability.