Zara launches online sales in 106 new countries, mostly in Africa

MADRID (Reuters) - Clothing retailer Zara will make its products available to online shoppers in an additional 106 countries, mostly in Africa, parent firm Inditex announced on Wednesday.

The countries, which do not have physical Zara stores, will be able to access a dedicated platform from Thursday, with the orders processed in Spain.

"From tomorrow, Zara's global women's, men's and kids' collections will be available in a total of 202 markets, underpinned by the integrated store and online platform," the company said in a statement.

However, of those 202 countries, 47 will still not have an online shopping option. An Inditex spokesman said that the company will further expand its online offering, aiming to have all its brands available online by 2020, as previously announced.

Following the launch, Zara customers in countries including Angola, Ivory Coast and Indonesia will be able to place orders in euros, including shipping costs and custom charges, the company said. Orders will be fulfilled from the online platform in Spain.

Online sales at Inditex jumped 41 percent in 2017, reaching 10 percent of group net sales, although this still left it behind some rivals.

Inditex is seeking to integrate online sales with its store network by focusing on large, attractive shops where customers might try on items to buy later online.

(Reporting by Sonya Dowsett; editing by Jason Neely and Kirsten Donovan)