Canadian shoppers rejoice! Great things are happening in the national retail industry this month with the arrival of Target in select locations across the country, and the highly-anticipated launch of European fashion chain Zara’s online store today.

The days of frustrated desire are over. Where once you would fall in love with one of Zara’s stylish seasonal products online, only to be forced into a treasure hunt to find that same item (not to mention size) in-store (often to no avail), the object of your closet’s desire is now only a virtual shopping cart away.

A global enterprise boasting reach across 87 countries, Zara is an international leader in the race to bring runway trends to the masses. Enamoured with the black and white spring summer colour trend? Zara’s latest SS13 collection is too, and has the pieces hanging on the racks to prove it. (We personally love the faux leather combination dress.) Now, with shipping to Canada, Zara invites loyal and new customers to peruse their trendy seasonal pieces at their convenient online store.

For the retailer, shared fashion culture is as integral to their designs, as to their business practices; and Canada has been not-so patiently waiting till today to reap the benefits of  Zara’s modern business philosophy. After all, the U.S. gained an online shop in 2010 with the UK launching its back in 2011. The chain’s move to online shopping is no surprise; Canadian shoppers are at home online, as indicated by reports showing Canadians spending twice as much time online compared to the world average.

What can you expect from Zara’s new virtual shop? Zara is offering a large variety of items from each of their product categories, though it is still yet to be seen how stock levels will compare between online and in-store availability. The website layout provides the shopper with several views of its items from multiple angles, handy when trying to get a sense of fit and drape. As online shoppers know, there is nothing quite as disappointing as buying an apparel item online, and opening up the package at home to discover it would take a month long juice fast to get it on.

As for selection, currently, the brand’s online products focus more on its seasonal lines that are also available in the UK and US online stores. We’re crossing our fingers and toes that this means finding some gems exclusive to Zara.com, and of course that scarcity won’t be an issue…well, maybe only enough to elevate items to the status of a “get.”