UNIQLO is not simply a retail company, but a manufacturing retail enterprise that controls product development, merchandising planning, manufacturing, and retail. The group has set forth “sales of 5 trillion yen($ 50 Billion) by 2020”as a target and is expanding rapidly throughout the world.
The first global flagship store, to establish UNIQLO's brand position in the world market
The flagship store in Soho, New York opened in autumn 2006. The store design was different from anything we had opened before. The spacious 36,000sq.ft. store with high ceilings grabbed the attention of the US market. UNIQLO’s high quality product ranges were accepted by New Yorkers as high quality casual wear from Japan by a new concept brand.
Growing as the base for Europe
In 2001, UNIQLO opened its first international store in London. Currently we are expanding our store locations throughout the UK as the base for Europe. The second global flagship store, "311 Oxford Street," was opened in November 2007. Then in February 2009, a new type of UNIQLO men's shop, "UNIQLO Selfridges" opened on the men's floor of the exclusive department store, Selfridges, which is located on the same street as the global flagship store. Based on the concept of Japanese cool modernism, carefully selected seasonal men's products are sold with the aim to strengthen UNIQLO's brand presence and to increase popularity with the people of London.
Hong Kong, where Japanese fashion attract a lot of attention
Ever since the opening of our first store, UNIQLO has enjoyed enthusiastic support in Hong Kong. Currently, as of June 2009, there are 11 stores operating. Net sales per store are high and store operation management is highly efficient. Hong Kong is an essential base for our future expansion into the Asian market.
Transitioning from No.1 retailer in Japan to No.1 retailer in the world.
The number of UNIQLO stores in Japan has increased to almost 800. In August 2009, we saw a great increase in customers due to the huge popularity of HEATTECH and BRA TOP and due to the expanded range of women's wear on offer. In the past few years, we have focused our efforts on opening large-format stores (17,200sq.ft.) and yielding steady success. In April 2009, our Shinjuku West Exit store, a large store located in central Tokyo, opened. In October, 2009, we renewed our flagship Tokyo Ginza store and expanded the shop floor space. Future plans are to accelerate large store openings in urban areas throughout Japan.
Offering the very best UNIQLO products from Paris, the heart of the world’s fashion
UNIQLO has been working hard to increase its visibility in France since 2007. Our third global flagship store, "Paris Opera Store," is designed as a "showcase to the world" displaying the very best that UNIQLO has to offer. Opening in the very heart of the fashion world a big step in UNIQLO’s quest to become a truly global brand.
A market of consumers with trends similar to the Japanese
Following the UK, UNIQLO began operations in China. with store openings in Shanghai. We continue to expand our store network in major cities with the leap in brand awareness generated by our Shanghai Ganghui square large store paving the way for a real breakthrough into the Beijing market. E-commerce site in China via a tie-up with online seller Taobao, a unit of Alibaba Group, the largest operator of e-commerce marketplace. This collaboration enabled us to supply UNIQLO merchandise to customers across the nation.
Successful joint venture with Lotte Shopping Co. Ltd. of South Korea
FRL Korea Co., LTD. was established in December 2004 as a joint venture with Lotte Shopping Co., Ltd, South Korea’s largest retailing enterprise. We opened three stores at simultaneously in September 2005 in Lotte department store and Lotte Mart. With Lotte as our partner, we can expect to gain a stable and sure market share in South Korea. In December 2007, UNIQLO opened a large-format store in Seoul's Myong Dong district, the country's largest shopping area. We are steadily expanding our store network. There are 44 stores as of January, 2010.
The long-awaited UNIQLO store in Singapore, a cornerstone of Southeast Asian market
UNIQLO (SINGAPORE) PTE. LTD. was set up as a joint venture with Singapore’s leading retailer Wing Tai Retail Pte. Ltd. in August 2008. In April 2009, the venture opened its first store, "Tampines 1 Store." Our second store was opened in August 2009 in central Singapore in the new ION Orchard commercial facility, a new landmark building on famous Orchard Road. The third store, "311 Sommerset," is a large-format store with 17,200sq.ft. floor space. There are over 300 items on display including UT and exclusive designer collaborations. We plan to open 8 more stores in next three years.
