The group, which also owns the Bershka and Massimo Dutti brands, posted a higher-than-expected net profit of €214 million (US$253 million) in the three months from May to July.

Inditex, which runs its business year from February to January, had booked a loss of €409 million in the previous quarter when it was forced to close over 90% of its 7,000 shops around the world due to Covid-19 lockdown measures.

The second-quarter results were better analysts’ expectations for net profit of some €58 million.

Inditex said 98% of its stores had reopened and that the “third quarter continues to see a progressive return to normality, with online sales growing sharply and store sales recovering gradually”.

In the period from May to July, sales rose to €4.73 billion from €3.30 billion in the previous quarter.

For the first half, Inditex posted a loss of €195 million.

Internet sales surged by 74% during the six-month period as it began selling online in nine more countries, including Argentina and Peru.

Since 2012, Inditex has invested around €2.5 billion in beefing up its online sales by reducing its stock of smaller older shops and investing in larger stores in high-profile locations.