Bots and bargains: Zara owner launches cut-price Lefties in UK to rival Primark

First robot-assisted outlet opens in Liverpool to take on Shein and supermarkets in clothing, shoes and homewares

The owner of Zara is taking on Primark , Shein and the supermarkets with the launch of its cut-price chain Lefties in Britain, backed by an army of robots.

The Spanish fashion brand opened its first UK store in Liverpool on Thursday, a few weeks after quietly launching its UK website.

The store has embraced robotics to reduce staffing costs, with self-checkouts that scan a whole basket in one go and a clothes hanger sorter. Shoppers put their hangers in a slot as they pay and they are taken on a hidden conveyor belt to two robots behind a screen that sort them into boxes for different sizes.

The outlet at the Liverpool One city centre development also has fitting rooms equipped with a hatch through which unwanted items go to be sorted behind the scenes, again by robots.

The garment-sorting system splits clothes into rails for each department ready to be taken away to the shop floor or packed into the stockroom.

The Liverpool store is the first of three Lefties planned in the UK this year. The other two will be in the Lakeside shopping centre in Essex and the Metrocentre near Newcastle. More are expected next year.

Just before the official opening, as more than 100 customers queued up to be the first British shoppers, the chain’s general director said the group was “not thinking about a specific number” of UK stores and would look at how the first few went before taking next steps.

Xavier Ruz Riera said Liverpool had been chosen as the first outlet as it was a city with a vibrant young population that as a port was “open to the world” and “has a great personality”.

The Lefties name comes from the fact its owner, Inditex, launched it in 1999 as an outlet for unsold, or leftover, items from Zara . However, it stopped selling its bigger sister brand’s clothing about a decade ago, instead stocking its own range of men’s, women’s and children’s clothing, shoes, and homewares from bedding to vases.

As Zara has moved slightly upmarket, Lefties has stepped in as a more cost-conscious option. Its products are a touch above Primark but below Shein on price, with dresses an average of £18, compared with £16 at the British chain and £18.50 at the Chinese-founded marketplace , according to analysis by the trade journal Retail Week.

In a nod to the UK’s winter weather, the Liverpool store is the first Lefties to stock thermal clothing, presenting a new competitor to Marks & Spencer and Uniqlo on basic underwear, with bras from £7.99.

Riera said the store would flex to meet local demands, taking feedback from its sales figures and shop staff.

Its clothing and stores have more focus on design than Primark and it offers a nationwide online delivery service, unlike its British rival which only offers click and collect from its website. However, Lefties does not offer frequent discounts in the same way as Shein or other rivals such as Tesco’s F&F or Matalan.

Its garment-sorting machine is also in use at five UK Zaras, but the clothes hanger sorting system is a first for the group in Britain.

The chain operates in 20 countries including Italy, Turkey and Romania, with 225 stores globally. The brand, now Inditex’s fastest-expanding chain, opened its first French and Italian stores last year and is set to go into Germany in the spring.

Riera said: “The UK is a natural next step offering an exciting destination for our brand. We believe there is a strong opportunity to bring our proposition to UK customers, offering quality fashion and home collections for the whole family at accessible prices through a seamless in-store and online shopping experience.”

Lefties’ online store offers its full collection, with free delivery on orders over £49 and the ability to order or return items for free in store.

It is likely to add to pressure on cheaper clothing chains such as Primark, New Look and Matalan as well as online specialists including Asos, Shein and Boohoo. However, it faces a market crowded with competitors, including successful supermarket own labels such as Tesco’s F&F, George at Asda and Sainsbury’s Tu.

Lefties’ parent group’s decision to prioritise other markets over the UK is likely to reflect apprehension about the level of competition itcould face here.

Richard Lim, the chief executive of the industry analyst Retail Economics, said: “Lefties’ arrival in the UK reflects successive waves of disruption across the apparel market. Competition has intensified from Chinese commerce players such as Shein, while the huge momentum behind pre-loved platforms such as Vinted has further fragmented consumer spending.”

He added: “This is a direct challenge to Primark’s heartland. Lefties gives Inditex a stronger foothold in value fashion as the fight for the value-conscious fashion shopper is only getting more intense.”