Zara Online Shopping

Experience
Discovery Website Exploration Add to Cart & Check- Shipping & Delivery Post-purchase
out Experience
Stages

Social media, influencer Zara’s website or

Shopping cart, payment Order tracking and Return portal, customer
Touchpoints content, ads, fashion mobile app, product
gateway shipping notifications service portal
blogs pages and reviews
• Browsing
• Browsing collections
Instagram/Tiktok
User Actions • Following influencers
• Filtering products • Adding items to cart • Tracking order • Initiating returns
DOING • checking prices & • Entering payment • Receiving package • Contacting support
• Engaging with content
discounts
• Clicking on Ads

Motivation Find new fashion item and Evaluate options, compare

Complete purchase quickly Receive product promptly
Easy returns or exchanges,
WANTING Follow Trends styles and prices resolving issues

• How fast is delivery?

• Is this size accurate?
Questions • What’s trending? Are
Does this fit my style?
How much are the • When will my package • How easy is it to return
THINKING there sales? shipping costs? arrive? or exchange?
• Are reviews helpful?
• Is my payment secure?

Inconsistent Sizing and

High shipping costs and Shipping delays, lack of Difficult returns, slow
Pain Points Overwhelming options Inaccurate search
complicated checkout real-time updates refunds
results

Positiv
e
Overall Evaluative Impatient
Satisfaction Excited & Anxious Frustrated
FEELING &
Curious Cautious &
Negative Hesitant

Virtual Try-On: Develop AR Simplify returns process,

Track social media features for virtual fitting rooms Offer a streamlined, one-click provide prepaid labels and
Add more detailed real time
Opportunities engagement, use AI for and upgrade the search bar purchase option and Introduce
update.
introduce Personalized Post-
targeted content with AI to enhance relevancy of tiered shipping options Purchase
search results. Recommendations.
For this customer journey map, I first drew from my personal experience shopping on Zara’s website. I’ve navigated their product
pages, added items to the cart, and completed the checkout process, which gave me firsthand insights into the overall user
experience, particularly regarding ease of navigation and any friction points during checkout. I also spent time researching online
customer reviews on forums like Reddit, Yelp, and Trustpilot. Many of these reviews highlighted common pain points, such as delays
in shipping or confusion regarding sizing. This allowed me to validate my personal observations with broader customer data.
I also briefly consulted industry reports (link), which helped identify that fashion retail, especially in the fast fashion sector like
Zara’s, is known for unique challenges such as high return rates. Another key finding was that “fashion e-commerce has a 3.64%
higher cart abandonment rate than the average for all industries.”
The industry report also gave me a clearer idea about relevant touchpoints, revealing that social influence represents an important
lever in consumer decision-making, as “social media influences 32% of Americans in the clothing and accessories they purchase.”
When designing this customer journey map, I began by identifying the key stages of Zara's online shopping experience. Based on
both my own experience and customer feedback, I divided the journey into five main stages: Research & Discovery, Website
Exploration, Add to Cart & Checkout, Delivery/Shipping, and Post-Purchase Experience . These stages represent the
natural flow a customer goes through from browsing to after-sale interactions.
For each stage, I listed the touchpoints that customers engage with, such as Zara's website, product pages, shopping cart, and
customer service portal. These touchpoints represent the interactions that have the most impact on customer satisfaction at each
stage. I then outlined the user actions taken at each stage, such as browsing collections, filtering products, and completing
payment. These actions reflect the typical journey and illustrate how customers move through the purchase process.
In addition to actions, I explored motivations and questions customers might have. For example, during product selection, a key
motivation is ensuring the product fits well and matches their personal style, while the common question is often around sizing
accuracy. Identifying these motivations helped me align recommendations with the customer’s mindset.
Next, I identified the pain points that customers encounter. For Zara, common issues include slow website loading, unclear sizing
guides, and lengthy shipping times. These pain points were corroborated by online reviews and personal experiences. Mapping
these out visually helped me understand where Zara’s online shopping experience could be improved.
Finally, I provided recommendations and opportunities for each stage. For example, at the research stage, I suggested simplifying
product categories and improving website speed to reduce customer frustration. At the delivery stage, offering real-time tracking
could alleviate anxiety around delivery times. These recommendations are designed to not only improve the customer experience
but also drive customer loyalty and satisfaction.