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Uniqlo Co., Ltd.
株式会社ユニクロ
Subsidiary
Industry Fashion
Founded 2 June 1984; 41 years ago (1984-06-02)
Headquarters 717-1, Sayama, Yamaguchi City, Yamaguchi 754-0894, Japan
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Tadashi Yanai (CHM, Pres., CEO)
Takahiro Wakabayashi (SVP)
Products
Number of employees
30,000+ employees
Parent Fast Retailing Co., Ltd.<

Uniqlo Co., Ltd. (株式会社ユニクロ, Kabushiki-gaisha Yunikuro) is a Japanese company that designs and sells casual wear. It's known for its comfortable and stylish everyday clothes. Uniqlo is part of a bigger company called Fast Retailing Co., Ltd.. Clare Waight Keller is the main creative designer for Uniqlo.

What Uniqlo Sells

Uniqlo offers a wide range of everyday clothes. These include items like jeans, chinos, polo shirts, and underwear. They often come in simple colors or subtle patterns. Uniqlo also has special products. One example is their Heattech range. These clothes are designed to keep you warm by trapping heat. They also create designs using art from famous artists. Some of these artists include Andy Warhol, Pablo Picasso, and Keith Haring.

Uniqlo's Journey: A Brief History

Uniqlo Shinsaibashisuji Flag ship store Interior view 2014
Uniqlo store in Shinsaibashisuji, Osaka

The company started as a men's shop in Ube, Yamaguchi. This was in March 1949. On June 2, 1984, a new store opened in Naka-ku, Hiroshima. It was called Unique Clothing Warehouse. The name "Uniqlo" came from a small mistake. In 1988, when registering the brand, the letter "C" was accidentally read as "Q". Tadashi Yanai, the head of the company, liked this new name. So, it was shortened to "Uniqlo" across Japan.

In September 1991, the company's name changed to "Fast Retailing". By April 1994, there were over 100 Uniqlo stores in Japan. In 1997, Fast Retailing decided to make its own clothes. They would then sell these clothes only in their own stores. This helped them control quality and costs. Uniqlo had its clothes made in factories in China. This was because it was cheaper there.

In November 1998, Uniqlo opened its first store in a big city. This was in Tokyo's Harajuku district. Soon, stores spread to other major cities in Japan. By 2001, Uniqlo had over 500 stores in Japan. Sales were at their highest point.

When Uniqlo wanted to open stores in other countries, they created a separate company. This new company was called Fast Retailing (Jiangsu) Apparel Co., Ltd. in China. In 2002, the first Uniqlo store in China opened in Shanghai. They also opened four stores in England, in London and Basingstoke.

On November 1, 2005, the company changed its structure. Sun Road Co., Ltd., which ran golf courses, took over the clothing business. Sun Road then changed its name to Uniqlo Co., Ltd.

More stores opened around the world in 2005. These included stores in the United States (New York City), Hong Kong (Tsim Sha Tsui), and South Korea (Seoul). By 2006, Uniqlo's sales reached $4 billion. By April 2007, the company aimed for $10 billion in global sales. They also wanted to be one of the top five global clothing retailers.

Uniqlo jeans
Uniqlo jeans at their Tokyo store

In March 2009, Uniqlo worked with fashion designer Jil Sander. She helped design their men's and women's clothing. On September 2, 2009, Fast Retailing announced big goals. They aimed for huge sales by 2020. This meant they wanted to be the world's largest clothing retailer. They also planned to grow by 20% each year.

Uniqlo has continued to grow globally. In 2023, they opened their first store in Mumbai, India. They also announced plans to open a store in São Paulo, Brazil, in 2024. By 2023, sales from outside Japan made up more than half of Uniqlo's total sales. This was the first time international sales were higher than domestic sales.

Uniqlo Logos

Uniqlo Around the World

Uniqlo Stores by Countries October 2023
Map of countries with Uniqlo stores

As of November 30, 2024, Fast Retailing operates 2,541 Uniqlo stores. These stores are located in many different countries.

Uniqlo in Australia

Uniqlo, Murray Street, Perth, September 2018
Uniqlo in Perth, Australia

Uniqlo opened its first store in Australia in April 2014. This store was in Melbourne. The next year, they opened two shops in Brisbane, Queensland. As of November 2024, there are 39 Uniqlo stores in Australia.

Uniqlo in Belgium

The first Uniqlo store in Belgium opened in October 2015. It is located on Meir street in Antwerp. As of November 2024, Belgium has 3 Uniqlo stores.

Uniqlo in Canada

UNIQLO Canada @ Metropolis (36994430014)
Uniqlo in Metropolis at Metrotown, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada

Uniqlo opened its first Canadian store on September 30, 2016. This store is in the Toronto Eaton Centre. Uniqlo has plans to open new stores in Victoria, Quebec City, Calgary, and Edmonton. As of November 2024, there are 28 Uniqlo stores in Canada.

Uniqlo in China

West Zone of Taikoo Li Sanlitun Beijing (cropped)
Uniqlo in Sanlitun, Beijing, China

Uniqlo started its business in mainland China in 2002. As of November 2024, there are 928 Uniqlo stores in China. Fast Retailing chief Tadashi Yanai once said he thinks they could have about 3,000 stores there.

Uniqlo in Denmark

In April 2019, Uniqlo opened its first main store in Denmark. It is in Copenhagen at Strøget. As of November 2024, Denmark has 2 Uniqlo stores.

Uniqlo in France

Uniqlo opened its first store in France on December 14, 2007. This store is in La Défense. As of November 2024, there are 28 Uniqlo stores in France.

Uniqlo in Germany

Uniqlo's main store in Germany opened on April 11, 2014. It is on Tauentzienstraße in Berlin. As of November 2024, Germany has 10 Uniqlo stores.

Uniqlo in India

Uniqlo opened its first store in India in October 2019. This store is in New Delhi. As of November 2024, there are 15 Uniqlo stores in India.

Uniqlo in Indonesia

Uniqlo, Tunjungan Plaza 3, Central Surabaya
Uniqlo in Tunjungan Plaza, Surabaya, Indonesia

On June 22, 2013, Uniqlo opened its first store in Indonesia. It was at Lotte Mall in Ciputra World 1, Jakarta. On April 9, 2021, its main Indonesian store opened. This store is at Pondok Indah Mall 3, Jakarta. As of November 2024, Uniqlo has 75 stores in Indonesia.

Uniqlo in Italy

In September 2019, Uniqlo opened its first main store in Italy. It is in Milan at Piazza Cordusio square. As of November 2024, there are 4 Uniqlo stores in Italy.

Uniqlo in Luxembourg

In October 2023, Uniqlo opened its main store in Luxembourg City. It is located on Grand Rue.

Uniqlo in Malaysia

Uniqlo DA Square at night (220710)
Uniqlo roadside store in Bandar Sri Damansara

On November 4, 2010, Uniqlo opened its first store in Malaysia. It was in Fahrenheit 88, in Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur. As of November 2024, Uniqlo has 60 stores in Malaysia.

Uniqlo in the Netherlands

The first Uniqlo store in the Netherlands opened on September 28, 2018. It is on the Kalverstraat in Amsterdam. As of November 2024, there are 4 stores in the Netherlands.

Uniqlo in the Philippines

Glorietta Uniqlo
Uniqlo's flagship store in Makati, Philippines

Uniqlo's first store in the Philippines opened on June 15, 2012. It was at SM Mall of Asia. Uniqlo opened its biggest store in Southeast Asia on October 5, 2018. This store is at Glorietta 5 in Makati. As of November 2024, there are 77 Uniqlo stores in the Philippines.

Uniqlo in Poland

Uniqlo opened its first store in Poland in October 2022. It is in the Wars Sawa shopping center in Warsaw. A second store opened in Warsaw's Westfield Arkadia mall in September 2024.

Uniqlo in Singapore

Uniqlo opened its first store in Singapore on April 9, 2009. This store was in Tampines 1, but it closed on January 17, 2021. As of February 2025, Uniqlo had 28 stores in Singapore.

Uniqlo in South Korea

Lotte World Mall Uniqlo 2016
Uniqlo in Lotte World Mall, Seoul, South Korea

Uniqlo (유니클로) had sales of over 2 billion won (about $1.7 million) in one day. This happened on November 11, 2011. It was when they opened Asia's largest main store in central Seoul. As of November 2024, there are 132 Uniqlo stores in Korea. Lotte owns 49% of Uniqlo's Korean business. On December 6, 2020, the main store in Myeong-dong closed.

Uniqlo in Spain

In 2016, Uniqlo started selling online in Spain. In September 2017, they opened their main store in Passeig de Gràcia, Barcelona. As of November 2024, there are 6 Uniqlo stores in Spain.

Uniqlo in Sweden

In August 2018, Uniqlo opened its first store in Sweden. It is in Stockholm at Kungsträdgården square. As of November 2024, there are 3 Uniqlo stores in Sweden.

Uniqlo in Taiwan

UNIQLO Xinzhuang Zhongzheng Road Store
Uniqlo store in Xinzhuang District, New Taipei, Taiwan

On October 5, 2010, Uniqlo opened its first store in Taiwan. It was at Hankyu Department Store in Taipei. As of November 2024, there are 73 Uniqlo stores in Taiwan.

Uniqlo in Thailand

On September 9, 2011, Uniqlo opened its first store in Thailand. It was at CentralWorld. As of November 2024, there are 71 Uniqlo stores in Thailand.

Uniqlo in the United Kingdom

Uniqlo's first store in the United Kingdom opened on September 28, 2001. This store was in London. In April 2024, Uniqlo opened its first main store in Scotland. It is in Edinburgh on Princes Street. As of November 2024, there are 20 Uniqlo stores in the UK.

Uniqlo in the United States

Uniqlo Chicago
Uniqlo's flagship store in Chicago on the Magnificent Mile, which closed in 2021

In the United States, Uniqlo operates as Uniqlo USA LLC. Its main office is in New York City. In September 2005, Uniqlo opened its first US store. It was in the Menlo Park Mall in Edison, New Jersey. In November 2006, Uniqlo opened its first global main store. This store is in the SoHo fashion district of Manhattan, New York City.

In October 2019, Uniqlo arranged for its first North American distribution center. This center is in Phillipsburg, New Jersey. Uniqlo expanded in the US in fall 2024. They opened almost 20 new stores. As of November 2024, there are 68 Uniqlo stores in the US.

Uniqlo in Vietnam

On December 6, 2019, Uniqlo opened its first store in Vietnam. It is in District 1, the center of Ho Chi Minh City. As of November 2024, there are 26 Uniqlo stores in Vietnam.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Uniqlo para niños

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