French metropolis objects to Zara retailer extension partly over Uyghur probe

Fashion model Zara, owned by Spain’s Inditex, was denied permission to increase a French retailer following considerations over sustainability and alleged exploitation of China’s minority Muslim Uyghurs, the native city corridor mentioned on Tuesday.
Inditex mentioned in an emailed assertion that Zara France would enchantment towards the choice.
“The company expresses its surprise at the apparent motivation behind this decision made public, which is not founded on any judicial ruling,” it mentioned, replying to a Reuters request for remark.
A spokeswoman for the city corridor of Bordeaux in southwest France mentioned the choice to reject Zara’s request to just about double the dimensions of its retailer within the metropolis centre was taken on Monday by an area administrative division.
She mentioned the fee that made the choice cited a French investigation into whether or not Inditex, in addition to three different style retailers, used compelled Uyghur labour in China’s Xinjiang area. The fee additionally expressed concern concerning the environmental affect of quick style.
Three metropolis and regional representatives sitting on the 10-member fee tasked with reviewing the request voted towards it, whereas six abstained, she mentioned.
“This was due to questions on whether the Uyghurs are exploited and also because of sustainable development issues,” she mentioned.
French prosecutors opened their investigation linked to accusations involving the therapy of Uyghurs right here in July. Inditex mentioned on the time it rejected the claims within the authorized grievance.
On Tuesday it mentioned: “Zara firmly insists on the lack of any basis and rigour to the accusations included in the complaint mentioned by the commission.”
It added it might lodge an enchantment with a nationwide fee ruling on planning purposes by retailers.
The city corridor spokeswoman mentioned two of the three individuals who voted towards the shop extension have been elected officers from town of Bordeaux, which has been led since 2020 by the Green Party after greater than 70 years of conservative rule.