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Tag: fast retailing

  • Uniqlo parent commits to refugee support

    Uniqlo parent commits to refugee support

    Uniqlo parent Fast Retailing has committed US$10 million in cash and some 150,000 items of Heattech clothing to help keep newly arrived refugees warm in Europe.

    Fast Retailing will supply the support through the UNHCR, the UNited Nation’s refugee agency.

    As well as the donations, Uniqlo will provide internships with future employment possibilities to 100 refugees in Japan and abroad.

    “The refugee issue is one of the most difficult challenges the international community is facing today,” said Tadashi Yanai, chairman, president and CEO of Fast Retailing.

    “We must collectively tackle the constant threats that have forced so many people, including a large number of children, to flee. We have been providing refugees with emergency assistance, programs that promote self-reliance and donations of clothes for nearly 10 years. We will continue to supply refugees with the clothes they need and give them hope for better lives, in keeping with our never-ending desire for a sustainable and peaceful world,” he said.

    UNHCR spokesman Antonio Guterres said nearly 60 million people have been forced to flee their homes worldwide; the equivalent to almost half the population of Japan.

    “Twenty million of these people are refugees. In the face of such an unprecedented challenge, the robust support of the private sector is crucial for meeting the needs of the millions of families who have lost everything and who are seeking a safe place to restore their lives and build a better future.”

    Fast Retailing started its collaboration with the UN Refugee Agency in 2006 and entered into a global partnership in 2011, a first for a company headquartered in Asia. The new support being pledged this week is part of a global partnership aimed at assisting forcibly displaced people around the world, in recognition of the need for international organisations and private enterprises to collaborate more closely for the refugee cause.

    Under the new agreement, Fast Retailing commits to support the UN Refugee Agency with US $10 million over the next three years, starting from 2016. The funds will help UNHCR respond to emergencies and other acute humanitarian crises, and help refugees in Asia become self-reliant.

    The donation will also cover costs related to the distribution of donated clothing. To date, Fast Retailing has collected and distributed through UNHCR more than 10 million items of lightly used clothing to refugees across 37 countries and regions.

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  • Uniqlo Philippines opens in Cebu

    Uniqlo Philippines opens in Cebu

    Uniqlo Philippines will open its first store in Cebu on Friday (October 23).

    The new 1000 sqm store is located in SM City Cebu shopping mall, on the first level of the north wing.

    It will be Uniqlo Philippines’ 25th shop and its first in the Visayas region.

    “We have opened 24 stores in Metro Manila and Luzon, entering the Visayas market is a milestone in our growth strategy,” said Katsumi Kubota, COO of Uniqlo Philippines.

    A second Cebu store will open in November in SM Seaside City Cebu.

    Uniqlo’s Lifewear concept, Simple Made Better, advocates apparel that comes from the Japanese values of simplicity, quality and longevity made with elegance.

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  • Fast Retailing US to slow rollout

    Fast Retailing US to slow rollout

    Fast Retailing US, the North American business unit of Japan’s largest apparel retailer is to slow its Uniqlo store roll out program after heavy losses.

    The Japanese company missed its earnings target in the latest quarter and posted losses due to a US$134 million  impairment charge relating to its 42-strong US Uniqlo store network and the poor performance of other brands there, including the J Brand denim label.

    Last year, Uniqlo opened 15 new stores in the US market – this year it will open just five.

    But the company remains committed to the US market – last week it was announced it had signed a lease to take an anchor tenancy in a downtown Denver shopping mall.

    The Financial Times quoted CEO Tadashi Yanai: “The brand penetration in big cities such as New York, San Francisco and Chicago – where we will open a new store – is good, but not in the suburbs.

    “We need to overhaul our policy for opening new stores.”

    CFO Takeshi Okazaki admitted in an earnings briefing: “The brand also still doesn’t have a lot of recognition in the United States.”

    Yanai will relocate a management team to the US to review operations there and try to revive sales growth, with a fresh strategy to be developed. In the year to the end of August, Fast Retailing reported a 48 per cent growth in net profit to JPY110 billion, (US$914,685,200) 10 billion lower than its earnings guidance three months earlier. It also incurred losses on the refurbishment of its Oxford St, London, and Shanghai flagships.

    Annual sales rose 22 per cent to JPY1.68 trillion (US$13.9 billion) largely due to growing demand for its products in China and South Korea.

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  • Fast Retailing launches refugee initiative

    Fast Retailing launches refugee initiative

    Japanese retail company Fast Retailing has launched HELP, a global initiative to help clothe refugees.

    The project – dubbed 10 Million Ways to HELP will be run in conjunction with the UNHCR.

    Collection starts at Uniqlo and GU on October 2 at stores around Japan and from mid-October in other markets.

    According to a Uniqlo statement, UNHCR estimates the number of women, men, and children forcibly displaced owing to armed conflict and other causes reached 59.5 million by the end of 2014 – the highest since the end of World War II – prompting Fast Retailing to respond.

    Fast Retailing has been implementing an All-Product Recycling Initiative to provide clothing to refugees since 2006, and in 2011 became the first company headquartered in Asia to establish a global partnership with UNHCR. As part of the initiative, Fast Retailing has also launched a drive to collect clothing from employees.

    Around 90 per cent of the clothing that Fast Retailing has collected to date through its All-Product Recycling Initiative has been in wearable condition. As of the end of April 2015, more than 10 million items from the company had been delivered to refugees in 37 countries by UNHCR, including those in Jordan, Syria, Thailand and Nepal.

    As another contribution to alleviate the plight of displaced people, from 2011 Fast Retailing has operated an internship program at Uniqlo stores in Japan for refugees and their family members, offering invaluable work experience to promote their self-reliance.

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  • Uniqlo Belgium to launch in Antwerp

    Uniqlo Belgium is to open its first store – in Antwerp, on October 2.

    The opening will mark a further expansion of Uniqlo parent Fast Retailing’s European footprint as it tries to achieve its goal of becoming the world’s largest apparel retailer by 2020.

    The new Antwerp store will have a total sales floor area of about 1320 sqm over two levels and a mezzanine floor. It will be a “large-scale Uniqlo store” featuring men’s, women’s, and kids’ clothing. In addition to the 2015 Fall/Winter collection, customers will also find the collaboration line created jointly with apparel brand Lemaire, led by Christophe Lemaire and Sarah-Linh Tran.

    “Our first store in Antwerp, an important and influential fashion city, marks our arrival in the Benelux region,” said Takao Kuwahara, Fast Retailing Group senior VP and Uniqlo Europe COO. “Uniqlo has so far built a presence in London, Paris, Moscow and Berlin, and I am pleased that the time has come for us to expand on our success in Europe by opening a first store in Belgium. We are very excited to introduce our brand and our products to customers across Benelux.”

    Uniqlo, (an abbreviation for ‘Unique Clothing Warehouse’) was established in Japan in 1984 and now boasts more than 1600 stores across 16 countries. Belgium will be its 17th. In Europe, the company operates 26 stores in four countries, having launched in the UK in 2001, France in 2007, Russia in 2010, and Germany in 2014.

    To coincide with the store’s debut, Uniqlo has developed a marketing campaign centred around ‘Six Faces of Antwerp’.

    The six are Bent Van Looy, Helena Eeckeleers, (pictured above), Felix Denayer, Joke De Coninck, Mark Colle, and Francine Martens.

    Spanning across different parts of society, including musicians, sportsmen, craftspersons, models and entrepreneurs, each person in the campaign has a special connection and relevance to the scenery of Antwerp. They will showcase how Uniqlo’s LifeWear products fits seamlessly into the daily lives of every person, regardless of age, personal background or style.

    Bent Van Looy is a singer, musician, artist, style icon, and TV personality. As the frontman of Das Pop and the drummer of Soulwax, he travels regularly around the world. In 2013, he released ‘Round the Bend’, his first solo album. He is currently based in Paris but returns regularly to Antwerp, where he grew up and still has a strong connection with.

    Helena Eeckeleers combines her marketing studies at the Karel de Grote-Hogeschool with a modeling career. She is passionate about fashion and loves to spend time in the south of Antwerp.

    Felix Denayer is a professional field hockey player who won the ‘Golden Stick’ for Best Belgian Hockey player twice.

    Joke De Coninck is a barista who spends most of her time working in Caffenation, a renowned coffee bar in Antwerp.

    Mark Colle is one of the most sought-after florists in the world and the number one choice for haute couture houses.

    Francine Martens worked for 50 years at bakery Goossens, the smallest but most authentic bakery in the center of Antwerp where people queue all day long. Francine retired a few years ago, but is still very much linked to the bakery.

  • Uniqlo Malaysia plans seven new stores

    Uniqlo Malaysia plans seven new stores

    Japanese retail giant Fast Retailing is planning to open seven new Uniqlo Malaysia stores.

    Two of the stores are planned for Sabah and Sarawak in eastern Malaysia and will mark the brand’s first foray into the eastern region after establishing a strong network of stores in central Malaysia.

    The seven stores will begin trading between September and November this year.

    Uniqlo said they will be located in the Klang Valley (The Curve), Perak (Aeon Klebang), Kedah (Aman Sentral), Sabah (Imago KK Times Square and Suria Sabah) and Sarawak (The Spring Mall and Vivacity Megamall).

    “The new store openings mark Uniqlo Malaysia’s first entry into East Malaysia, as it looks to provide more Malaysians with high quality, comfortable and stylish clothing at affordable prices,” the company said in a statement.

    Uniqlo Malaysia currently has 25 stores located within the Klang Valley, Johor, Malacca, Pahang and Penang.

    “We are excited with the upcoming new store openings, as it means more Malaysians will be able to purchase and experience our product offerings,” said Uniqlo Malaysia’s co-COO Jocelyn Ng.

    “We remain committed to provide the best shopping experience and make our innovative products, such as Airism and Heattech, more accessible to the communities in these locations.”

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  • Fast Retailing, Seven & I mull partnership

    Fast Retailing, Seven & I mull partnership

    Two of Japan’s largest retail businesses are eyeing a “comprehensive business alliance” according to Japanese news reports.

    A strategic relationship currently under discussion could see a range of mutually beneficial co-operations spanning physical stores and eCommerce.

    Details are still sketchy, but according to news reports, Fast Retailing, the parent of Uniqlo, could work with Seven & I, parent of 7-Eleven convenience stores and the Ito-Yokado supermarket chain, on areas including product design, house brands, marketing and distribution.

    Uniqlo may use 7-Eleven stores as collection points for online purchases.

    The two companies may also launch a joint venture clothing brand outside the Uniqlo network.

    To date, that’s as much information as has leaked out.

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  • Accenture and Quick Retailing be a part of forces to develop digitally enabled shopper providers

    Accenture and Quick Retailing be a part of forces to develop digitally enabled shopper providers

    Quick Retailing, the dad or mum firm of Japanese trend chain retailer Uniqlo, is forming a three way partnership with administration consulting agency Accenture to speed up the digital innovation of shopper providers for its clients globally.

    Increasing on a long-standing relationship, the 2 corporations will discover methods to increase their collaboration to ship personalised buyer experiences throughout all of Quick Retailing’s retail channels.

    Quick Retailing – which has operations throughout Asia, Europe and the USA – owns seven main manufacturers: Uniqlo, GU, Principle, Comptoir des Cotonniers, Helmut Lang, Princesse tam.tam and J Model. To enhance the personalised multi-channel expertise for Quick Retailing’s clients, Accenture will assist the retailer develop new digital enterprise fashions that embed buyer innovation, knowledge analytics and digitised operations in product improvement, merchandising, manufacturing, logistics, advertising, gross sales and customer support. This could allow shoppers to pick, attempt, buy and obtain services anytime and anyplace, which is a key goal of Quick Retailing’s working mannequin.

    As a part of the initiative, Accenture will assist Quick Retailing construct a cloud-based know-how platform, together with provide chain and buyer relationship administration techniques, to gather actionable buyer insights that may allow the personalisation of the client expertise. The know-how, together with provide chain and buyer relationship administration methods, will probably be absolutely reworked as a cloud based mostly infrastructure. Accenture Digital will present the digital commerce, mobility and analytics capabilities wanted to rework the client expertise.

    Underneath the joint initiative, Accenture may even assist Quick Retailing practice and recruit the expertise mandatory to construct an enhanced buyer expertise staff, looking for candidates with expertise in digital applied sciences together with mobility, analytics and cloud. As well as, the 2 corporations will set up an advisory panel that features main teachers, opinion leaders and start-up corporations to assist form Quick Retailing’s future digital providers for its clients.

    “We’re pursuing a coherent technique to determine an revolutionary enterprise scheme that seamlessly combines actual and digital markets and to take the lead within the altering retail business,” stated Tadashi Yanai, Chairman, President and CEO, Quick Retailing.

    “By way of this collaborative framework with Accenture, Quick Retailing will globally current and introduce the potential of an revolutionary enterprise mannequin past the retail business and speed up creating the world’s main direct enterprise mannequin. Quick Retailing, partnering with Accenture, will improve retailer technique, create a state-of-the-art provide chain community and develop progressive expertise to satisfy the buyer calls for within the period of digitalisation.”

    “Immediately’s retail clients are a formidable pressure with shifting expectations, demanding a seamless expertise – whether or not in shops or on-line – that’s on their phrases. Main retailers know that digital is the important thing to creating the seamless expertise clients need, and we’ll work with Quick Retailing to make sure they’re making sensible funding decisions to create new worth whereas making certain environment friendly and efficient operations throughout their complete organisation,” stated Gianfranco Casati, group chief government, Progress Markets at Accenture.

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