By Corina Pons and Helen Reid MADRID (Reuters) -Zara owner Inditex posted a rare miss on third-quarter sales on Wednesday but the world's biggest listed fast-fashion retailer said the holiday shopping season had got off to a good start.

Inditex reported an increase in sales at the start of its final quarter, helped by its fall and winter collections and despite intense competition in the fashion industry.

Shares of Inditex, which enjoyed a significant 30% rise earlier this year, experienced a 6% drop in early trading following the release of the results.