I applied in-person. The process took 2 days. I interviewed at Zara in Jun 2011
Interview
I walked into the store and asked one of the cashiers if the store was hiring. She said yes, and proceeded to give me an application. I filled it out and gave it to the assistant manager. He interviewed me on the spot. It was the most relaxed interviews ever and he and asked me questions such as work experience and availability. He proceeded to tell me about the store's operations, what I would be doing as a sales associate and what he expects from his employees. He told me that hiring decisions would be made the following day.
The next day I called the store and spoke with the manager. She told me that she hasn't looked at any applications yet so she would be making calls for interviews soon. I figured that they wouldn't be making any decisions soon. The following day the assistant manager called me and offered me the position.
The process took 1 day. I interviewed at Zara (Houston, TX) in May 2011
Interview
I picked up an application in store and dropped it off the same day with my resume. The manager scheduled an appointment for that week. The interview was basically a 5 minute 1 on 1 conversation. You just tell them a little about yourself and your work experience and then she tells you about the store and the responsibilities. Low stress, very easy.