Speaking of quality, the much anticipated ZARA store finally opened its doors to the public on Thursday delivering what I expect to be a blow to the unfairly priced, slack on quality offerings by the likes of YDE. If one thinks of a blazer from ZARA that costs R 500 in comparison to what has become a norm- I’ve come to expect paying twice that at our local retailers- it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out where I’ll be make my purchases. Which is a pity, because I do enjoy wearing local. But if local can not meet me halfway with decent fabrication, who am I to refuse to pay less for great quality.

What I do hope for, however, is that ZARA’s entrance into the South African market will only serve to remind local retailers that customer is King. It’s time for a return to basics, not only in terms of the quality to which I refer to, but also in terms of service and providing customers with a shopping experience rather than just another trip to decreasing bank balances in return for very little and bad attitude from retail staf.