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Tag: uniqlo

  • Prolonged summer takes heat out of Uniqlo sales

    Prolonged summer takes heat out of Uniqlo sales

    Uniqlo parent, Japanese giant Fast Retailing, says its total sales dropped 8.1 per cent in November.

    “Same-store sales dipped year on year in November after unusually hot weather in mid-month stifled sales of winter clothing necessities,” the company said in a  brief trading statement which gave only percentages and not total sales data.

    The number of Uniqlo stores operating outside Japan exceeded the number of domestic stores last month – by 864 to 844.

    In November, same-store sales decreased by 8.9 per cent year on year while sales at its own-run stores (excluding franchises) decreased by 9.9 per cent. Total sales, including online, thus fell by 8.1 per cent.

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  • Uniqlo to launch Liberty London range

    Uniqlo to launch Liberty London range

    Uniqlo has announced a collaboration with high end UK department store Liberty London to create an exclusive range of apparel.

    Liberty London for Uniqlo will launch with a Spring/Summer 2016 collection, in stores from Spring.

    The collaboration brings together a special selection of Liberty’s iconic floral prints with women’s, girls’, babies’ and men’s products for Uniqlo LifeWear, whose signature innovations make clothing lighter, more comfortable, affordable and accessible to all.

    Liberty started in London’s Regent Street in 1875, selling ornaments, fabrics and artworks from Japan and elsewhere in Asia that inspired some of the 42,000 prints that make up Liberty’s print archives.

    Extensive collections of Liberty catalogues, dresses and textiles, housed at The Victoria and Albert Museum, attest to the myriad contributions to art, culture, and fashion of one of the world’s most prestigious brands.

    Liberty’s mock-Tudor-style building on Great Marlborough St is a destination for fashionistas and an epitome of classical British design.

    The Liberty London for Uniqlo collection will be sold worldwide in Uniqlo stores.

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  • Bangkok retail market to increase more than 1 million sq.m.

    Bangkok retail market to increase more than 1 million sq.m.

    The entry of new local and international retailers, combined with a challenging economic outlook and weak consumer sentiment is all adding up to the mix.
    Despite a slowdown in retail sales, there is currently 1.1 million sq.m. of retail space under construction in Bangkok, which will bring the total completed supply in 2017 close to 8 million sq.m.
    Within the CBD, the latest major retail developments to open are EmQuartier and Central Embassy, intensifying competition for existing malls such as Siam Paragon, Gaysorn and CentralWorld.

    In addition, big developers continue to renovate their downtown retail centres such as Siam Discovery and MBK.

    Bangkok retail market, EmQuatier
    As the major retail centres are chasing after the same group of consumers, retail events and promotions have become ubiquitous

    As the major retail centres are chasing after the same group of consumers, retail events and promotions have  become ubiquitous leading to a cut-throat competition and heighted promotion campaigns, particularly gearing up to the festive season where consumer spending typically peaks.

    The expansion by major retail developers to suburban areas may also in part draw consumers away from CBD malls, although the impact may be limited.

    Bangkok’s suburban areas today are well served by quality retail centres, reducing the need for consumers to travel into the CBD.

    To the North, Zpell@Future Park has just opened on 27th November. Opened on the same day in Eastern Bangkok on Ekamai-Ram Intra is Central EastVille, adding competition to existing malls in the area such as Crystal Park and Crystal Design Centre.

    The Mall Group is also currently planning The Bangkok Mall on Bangna-Trad which is expected to be completed in 2017. To the West, CentralPlaza WestGate recently opened in August in the Bang Yai area, adding a major retail centre to an area where there have been limited retail developments.

    The Riverside will also get its own luxury shopping complex in 2017 with the opening of IconSiam which will comprise a 500,000 sq.m. retail and entertainment complex, part of which includes a 36,000 sq.m. 7-floor Takashimaya department store from Japan which will be Thailand’s first.Amidst this competition, the segment that will find most challenging is community malls.

    Community malls will be forced to adjust their strategies and have clear unique selling points and propositions to draw in consumers; otherwise they are likely to be overshadowed by major retail developments that have a bigger events and promotions budget.

    It is essential for community mall developers to understand their target consumers’ needs and retain anchor tenants in order to compete in the long-term.

    The plus side of the retail expansion is that it will create room for both domestic and international retailers to expand to suburban areas.

    International fashion brands such as H&M, Uniqlo, Aldo and Charles & Keith have already expanded to CentralPlaza WestGate.

  • 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 and Toray Announce Third Stage of Strategic Partnership

    UNIQLO and Toray Announce Third Stage of Strategic Partnership

    Uniqlo and Toray Industries, Inc. (company headquarters registered in Tokyo) today jointly announce the third stage of their strategic partnership for the next five years. First established ten years ago, the newest stage of the partnership between the two companies aims at strengthening collaborative efforts further and creating a new industry centered the future.

    Uniqlo, leading apparel retailer and originator of LifeWear clothing that is made for all, and available in 841 stores in Japan and 798 stores abroad (as of August 31, 2015), and the Toray Group, global top business group of advanced materials, with its 98 subsidiary companies in Japan and 155 companies abroad (as of March 31, 2015), are accelerating globalization and digitalization to achieve the initiatives listed below. From 2016 through 2020 the total number of transactions between the two companies is expected to reach 1 trillion yen.

    Acceleration of globalization and digitalization to create a new industry:

    – Realize an end-to-end business model by utilizing the Internet of Things (IoT)

    – Reduce production lead times further

    – Increase globalization of production sites and locations further

    – Optimize production in each location

    – Expand production sites to support business growth in Greater China (China, Hong Kong and Taiwan)

    Maximize LifeWear that is made for all:

    – Improve comfort and functionality of current products

    – Conduct research and development of products that offer completely new added value

    – Develop new sportswear to enhance people’s daily lives

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  • Uniqlo Malaysia expands footprint

    Uniqlo Malaysia expands footprint

    After making its first foray into East Malaysia by opening two  stores in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah and one in Kuching, Sarawak, Uniqlo Malaysia is opening its first Perak store in the newly opened Aeon Mall Ipoh Klebang.

    This will be Uniqlo’s 31st store in Malaysia as the company increases its reach to make its high quality and affordable apparels more accessible to Malaysians.

    Uniqlo Perak Malaysia 1

    “As we further increase our reach to Malaysians, we want to be a brand that is present in various aspects of our customers’ daily lives. Be it just lounging at home or engaging in sports activities, we want to be the brand that provides clothes which enable them to engage in these daily activities with ease” said Jocelyn Ng, COO.

    Uniqlo Perak Malaysia 2

    Uniqlo Malaysia has lined up two more store openings in Johor and Sarawak, respectively. These will be the second Uniqlo stores for both states, after City Square in Johor Bahru and The Spring in Kuching.

    Uniqlo Perak Malaysia 4

    Uniqlo recently announced its collaboration with Disney to produce items with Disney,  Pixar, Star Wars and Marvel characters, which will be rolled out in its Malaysian network.

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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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  • Uniqlo Denver displaces famous bookstore

    Uniqlo Denver displaces famous bookstore

    Japanese apparel retailer Uniqlo is continuing its expansion in the US, signing up for a strategically significant flagship in Denver.

    Uniqlo Denver will open in the Pavilions shopping centre, downtown in the Colorado state capital, displacing the former anchor, bookstore Barnes & Noble.

    Pavilions is also home to Colorado’s largest H&M store, along with fashion brands Forever 21 and Banana Republic.

    Uniqlo’s first Rocky Mountain region store will open in autumn 2016 once Barnes & Noble moves out.

    The Uniqlo Denver flagship will featuring the brand’s full assortment of mens’, women’s and children’s lines. Pavilions management say it is the only store planned in Colorado by Uniqlo.

    “Introducing new global brands to Denver is a key component of Gart Properties’ strategy for Denver Pavilions,” said Mark Sidell, president of Gart Properties, which owns the Denver Pavilions with another Denver family. “Opening the flagship Uniqlo store in the Rocky Mountain Region is a big win for downtown Denver. It’s sure to be a tourist attraction in addition to serving shoppers from all across the city and the state.”

    Uniqlo currently has 42 stores in the US, selling comfortable, affordable and stylish casual apparel for men, women and children in natural and synthetic fabrics engineered to perform in varying climates and weather conditions.

    Pavilions says it expects Uniqlo will strengthen the retail environment in downtown Denver and positively impact the downtown economy.

    “In addition to creating local jobs, Uniqlo seeks to partner with local organisations and municipalities to give back to the communities where their customers live and work through a CSR program.

  • 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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  • H&M backs China, India

    H&M backs China, India

    Sweden’s H&M has followed in the footsteps of archrival Uniqlo in voicing its confidence in the China market despite the economic slowdown.

    Like Uniqlo H&M is aimed at the mass market, not the high end luxury sector most hit by the tightened spending of Chinese consumers.

    H&M says it will open 70 stores in China in the year to November 30, taking its network up to just over 300.

    Like Uniqlo, the company says it sees itself appealing to cost-conscious shoppers.

    In an interview in Hong Kong on Monday, H&M country manager for Greater China, Magnus Olsson, said the brand’s customers say they enjoy spending with H&M and they plan to shop more in future.

    “Those signs we think override some other maybe noise in the marketplace right now. We’re humble but confident.”

    H&M will open its largest store yet in Asia in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong, on October 30.

    H&M group’s sales in the nine months to August rose 22 per cent globally; expressed in local currency, by 12 per cent.

    In the fourth quarter of this year H&M plans to open about 240 new stores – almost three per day.

    It will enter India and South Africa this autumn, with maiden stores in New Delhi this week and in Cape Town in October.

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  • New Disney park in China to bolster sales, Uniqlo chief says

    New Disney park in China to bolster sales, Uniqlo chief says

    Fast Retailing Co. Chairman Tadashi Yanai said Walt Disney Co.’s new park in Shanghai will help his Uniqlo casual clothing brand expand in China, shrugging off concerns over an economic slowdown in the Japanese retailer’s largest overseas market.

    “The opening of the Shanghai Disneyland gives both of us, Uniqlo and Disney, a business opportunity,” Chairman Tadashi Yanai told reporters in Shanghai, where Uniqlo will open a new Disney-inspired concept store. “Our business is getting absolutely no impact” from China’s slowdown, he said.

    Starting Sunday, Uniqlo will devote an entire floor at its six-story China flagship store in central Shanghai to products jointly designed with Disney. A human-sized Mickey Mouse statue greets visitors to the store, where T-shirts and toys depicting characters such as Tinker Bell, Woody of Disney Pixar’s “Toy Story” animated films, and Darth Vader from the Star Wars movies are on display.

    Japan’s richest person, Yanai plans to open 100 stores a year in China as Uniqlo competes with Hennes & Mauritz AB’s H&M and Inditex SA’s Zara to win over consumers in the world’s most populous country. The retailer’s design tie-up comes as Disney prepares to open its $5.5 billion Shanghai theme park next year, its biggest foreign investment and a bet on the country’s booming middle class.

    The Disney collaboration should help Uniqlo boost sales in China “as buzz builds around the opening of Shanghai Disneyland,” said Bloomberg Intelligence retail analyst Thomas Jastrzab. “Expanding store-specific limited edition merchandise offerings should help Uniqlo increase regular foot traffic and improve customer loyalty.”

    Fast Retailing rose 3.3 percent to ¥46,800 ($388.09) at the close of trading in Tokyo on Friday. The shares are up by 6.3 percent so far this year, compared with the 3.3 percent gain in the benchmark Topix index.

    Uniqlo has about 360 stores in mainland China, the most in any country outside Japan, where it has almost 850 shops. The company plans to expand its Greater China network, including mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, to 1,000 outlets.

    China is a key market for Fast Retailing as Yanai attempts to turn Asia’s biggest clothing retailer into the world leader, with a target of ¥5 trillion in sales by 2020 from its forecast of ¥1.65 trillion for the fiscal year ended Aug. 31.

    Yanai said demand for Uniqlo products will increase amid an economic slowdown in China. Everyday clothes with basic designs and advanced materials that Uniqlo sells at affordable prices fit well as China shifts its focus to consumer purchasing from manufacturing, he said.

    “An economic slowdown in China could boost Uniqlo’s sales, particularly as shoppers increasingly look for value-for-money when purchasing clothing essentials such as T-shirts and pants,” Jastrzab said.

    China’s apparel and footwear market is highly fragmented, with market leader Bestseller AS, owner of brands such as Jack & Jones and Vera Moda, holding a 1.7 percent market share by value in 2014, according to Euromonitor International. Uniqlo ranks eighth with 0.6 percent, while Inditex is ninth with 0.5 percent and H&M is out of the top 10 with 0.4 percent.

    “Our concept of manufacturing is fundamentally different and unique,” said Yanai. “We don’t chase trends, but we would rather want to incorporate fashion into our basic clothes.”

  • Uniqlo Magic For All to debut in Shanghai

    Uniqlo Magic For All to debut in Shanghai

    Uniqlo will open its Magic For All store on the fifth floor of the Uniqlo Shanghai Global Flagship store on Huai Hai Rd on September 27.

    Uniqlo Magic for all 4

    It will be the first execution o fthe new partnership between the Japanese clothing brand and entertainment giant Walt Disney which will see many Disney characters feature on apparel sold by Uniqlo.

    Uniqlo Magic for all 1

    The Magic For All line of LifeWear is part of a global collaboration with Disney Consumer Products that aims to surprise and delight customers of all ages.

    Uniqlo Magic for all 6

    Customers begin their Magic For All journey at the store’s main entrance, where a 1.8 metre Mickey Mouse statue and 100 Mickey Mouse figurines await. Known as the Mickey 100 Series, the inspiration for the figurines was taken from 100 exclusive new designs for Mickey Mouse, which will be on display for the first time in Shanghai. Fifteen of the designs were reproduced on colorful UTs (Uniqlo T-shirts), including five designs for children.

    Uniqlo Magic for all 3

    Inside the Magic For All store, customers are treated to a series of “unique and immersive experiences” found only at Uniqlo in Shanghai. Tinker Bell can be seen flying across wall monitors accompanied by music, and in a world first, the store features Shout Mickey, a special area that captures joyful moments. When a customer shouts ‘Mickey’ toward the lens of a digital camera, the moment is captured and a digital image can be sent to the customer’s mobile device as a memento of the visit. The store also features a Future area, showcasing Uniqlo’s UT range of fashions, and the Colorful Fairy Tale realm for little princesses.

    Uniqlo Magic for all 2

    Unique and innovative being central to the overall shopping experience, the store is the first in China to offer Magic For All options for UTme!, a custom T-shirt design service, and for MY Uniqlo, which enables customers to add special touches to items of clothing.

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  • Seven & I to launch online store

    Seven & I to launch online store

    Japan’s Seven & I Holdings says it will open a giant online store in November, offering products sourced from across its retail store brands.

    By February 2019, Seven & I anticipates a range of 6 million SKUs will be available on the new store, including goods specifically created for the channel in partnership with name brands, including apparel chain Uniqlo.

    It targets ¥1 trillion in annual turnover, or US$8.3 billion when fully operational.

    Seven & I is the global parent of the 7-Eleven convenience store brand, owns the Ito-Yokado chain of hybrid supermarkets and general merchandise stores and the high end department stores Seibu and Sogo.

    The new online store ‘Omni7’ will open on November 11 with a stock of 1.8 million items.

    Shoppers will be able to request delivery to their home or two any Seven & I outlets for convenient collection – such as 7-Elevens.

    Returns will be permitted over the counter at any group store.

  • UNIQLO Opens World’s First MAGIC FOR ALL Store in Shanghai

    UNIQLO Opens World’s First MAGIC FOR ALL Store in Shanghai

    UNIQLO is set to open its MAGIC FOR ALL store on the fifth floor of the UNIQLO Shanghai Global Flagship Store on Huai Hai Road, its largest UNIQLO store in the world, on September 27. The MAGIC FOR ALL line of LifeWear apparel is part of a global collaboration with Disney Consumer Products that aims to surprise and delight customers of all ages.

    Customers begin their MAGIC FOR ALL journey at the store’s main entrance, where a 180-centimeter-tall Mickey Mouse statue and 100 Mickey Mouse figurines await. Known as the Mickey 100 Series, the inspiration for these iconic figurines was taken from 100 exclusive new designs for Mickey Mouse, which will be on display for the first time in Shanghai. Fifteen of the designs were reproduced on colorful UTs (UNIQLO T-shirts), including five designs for children.

    Inside the MAGIC FOR ALL store, customers are treated to a series of unique and immersive experiences found only at UNIQLO in Shanghai. Tinker Bell can be seen flying across wall monitors accompanied by music, and in a world first, the store features Shout Mickey, a special area that captures joyful moments. When a customer shouts ‘Mickey’ toward the lens of a digital camera, the moment is captured and a digital image can be sent to the customer’s mobile device as a memento of the visit. The store also features a Future area, showcasing UNIQLO’s UT range of fashions, and the Colorful Fairy Tale realm for little princesses.

    Unique and innovative being central to the overall shopping experience, the store is the first in China to offer MAGIC FOR ALL options for UTme!, a custom T-shirt design service, and for MY UNIQLO, which enables customers to add special touches to items of clothing.