Spain's Inditex has temporarily closed its franchise-operated stores in Algeria though it is not considering ceasing operations in the country, a company source told Reuters on Thursday.
The company behind Zara and other brands, which according to its latest annual report has 20 stores in Algeria, has at other times temporarily closed shops in countries such as Ukraine and Israel.
Inditex said the closures in Algeria are in response to operational problems that have made it difficult to renew stock in stores, without indicating how many are closed and when they would reopen.
Spanish online news website El Confidencial, which first published the information about store closures in Algeria, mentioned videos circulating on social networks showing stores with a sign that read: "Temporary closure."
The world's biggest listed fast-fashion company earlier this year reopened Zara stores in Ukraine and relaunched online sales, as well as resuming operations in Venezuela under a franchise agreement.
The United Arab Emirates-based Daher Group, the Inditex partner that operates the company's brands in Algeria and other countries in Africa and the Middle East, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
