How Clothing Chain Uniqlo Is Taking Over The World (2024)

Table of Contents
The first Uniqlo opened its doors in Hiroshima, Japan in 1984. The company originally called itself "Unique Clothing Warehouse." By joining those words together, Uniqlo was born. In the early 1990s, the Japanese economy hit a major slump. And Uniqlo's cheap clothes got popular fast. By 1994, ten years after the first store opened, 100 Uniqlos were in operation. The company saw a rise in popularity after the launch of a fleece apparel campaign in 1998, according to its website. Uniqlo's faced some bumps along the way. When first expanding overseas, it opened too many stores too quickly — and had to close many of them. Although Uniqlo started as a suburban chain, it now has more than 800 stores worldwide, many in urban centers around the globe. Uniqlo has become the biggest apparel chain in Asia. But company executives have said they want Uniqlo to be "the world's No. 1 casual brand." So far, there are only seven stores in the U.S. But there plans to open 1,000 Uniqlos in America, according to Forbes. Uniqlo's slogan is "made for all," and the store is known for its rainbow-colored casual wear for men, women and kids. The clothes are cheap and aim to be affordable for every consumer. The stores are often hard to miss. The Fifth Avenue store is gigantic, at 89,000 square feet. Despite being a Japanese company, about 70% of its clothes are manufactured in China. It also keeps prices low by buying products directly from suppliers. And it can buy in mass since it focuses on clothing that doesn't go out of style and pumps each item out in an array of colors. Yanai, Uniqlo's founder, is one of the richest people in Japan. His net worth is estimated at $15.5 billion. He is said to have intensely studied Gap and used the American company as a basis for its business model. In late 2011, the company was valued at 1.4 trillion yen ($14 billion), according to Bloomberg. Some features of Uniqlo's business stand out among other retailers. For example, Yanai has proposed a global pay system in which managers worldwide would receive the same wage. And Yanai told Forbes that Uniqlo sets itself apart by not chasing trends. Instead, they focus on basics, like Oxfords and polos, and make them affordable. In March, Yanai told Women's Wear Daily that he "might not be able to retire" because there is no one who yet meets his expectations as a successor. The store was virtually untouched during the recession and saw profits climb 17% between 2009 and 2010. And it hasn't stopped yet. Profits jumped 13% in the past six months, according to the Wall Street Journal, and its overseas sales continue to come in strong. If Uniqlo's rapid growth continues, its ambitious plans to be the leader of retail in the U.S. and worldwide could become a reality. Read about the rise of another casual retailer: FAQs

The first Uniqlo opened its doors in Hiroshima, Japan in 1984.

How Clothing Chain Uniqlo Is Taking Over The World (1)

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The company originally called itself "Unique Clothing Warehouse." By joining those words together, Uniqlo was born.

How Clothing Chain Uniqlo Is Taking Over The World (2)

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In the early 1990s, the Japanese economy hit a major slump. And Uniqlo's cheap clothes got popular fast.

How Clothing Chain Uniqlo Is Taking Over The World (3)

By 1994, ten years after the first store opened, 100 Uniqlos were in operation.

How Clothing Chain Uniqlo Is Taking Over The World (4)

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The company saw a rise in popularity after the launch of a fleece apparel campaign in 1998, according to its website.

How Clothing Chain Uniqlo Is Taking Over The World (5)

Uniqlo's faced some bumps along the way. When first expanding overseas, it opened too many stores too quickly — and had to close many of them.

How Clothing Chain Uniqlo Is Taking Over The World (6)

Advertisem*nt

Although Uniqlo started as a suburban chain, it now has more than 800 stores worldwide, many in urban centers around the globe.

How Clothing Chain Uniqlo Is Taking Over The World (7)

Uniqlo has become the biggest apparel chain in Asia. But company executives have said they want Uniqlo to be "the world's No. 1 casual brand."

How Clothing Chain Uniqlo Is Taking Over The World (8)

Advertisem*nt

So far, there are only seven stores in the U.S. But there plans to open 1,000 Uniqlos in America, according to Forbes.

How Clothing Chain Uniqlo Is Taking Over The World (9)

Uniqlo's slogan is "made for all," and the store is known for its rainbow-colored casual wear for men, women and kids.

How Clothing Chain Uniqlo Is Taking Over The World (10)

Advertisem*nt

The clothes are cheap and aim to be affordable for every consumer.

How Clothing Chain Uniqlo Is Taking Over The World (11)

The stores are often hard to miss. The Fifth Avenue store is gigantic, at 89,000 square feet.

How Clothing Chain Uniqlo Is Taking Over The World (12)

Advertisem*nt

Despite being a Japanese company, about 70% of its clothes are manufactured in China.

How Clothing Chain Uniqlo Is Taking Over The World (13)

It also keeps prices low by buying products directly from suppliers. And it can buy in mass since it focuses on clothing that doesn't go out of style and pumps each item out in an array of colors.

How Clothing Chain Uniqlo Is Taking Over The World (14)

Advertisem*nt

Yanai, Uniqlo's founder, is one of the richest people in Japan. His net worth is estimated at $15.5 billion.

How Clothing Chain Uniqlo Is Taking Over The World (15)

He is said to have intensely studied Gap and used the American company as a basis for its business model.

How Clothing Chain Uniqlo Is Taking Over The World (16)

Advertisem*nt

In late 2011, the company was valued at 1.4 trillion yen ($14 billion), according to Bloomberg.

How Clothing Chain Uniqlo Is Taking Over The World (17)

Some features of Uniqlo's business stand out among other retailers. For example, Yanai has proposed a global pay system in which managers worldwide would receive the same wage.

How Clothing Chain Uniqlo Is Taking Over The World (18)

Advertisem*nt

And Yanai told Forbes that Uniqlo sets itself apart by not chasing trends. Instead, they focus on basics, like Oxfords and polos, and make them affordable.

How Clothing Chain Uniqlo Is Taking Over The World (19)

In March, Yanai told Women's Wear Daily that he "might not be able to retire" because there is no one who yet meets his expectations as a successor.

How Clothing Chain Uniqlo Is Taking Over The World (20)

Advertisem*nt

The store was virtually untouched during the recession and saw profits climb 17% between 2009 and 2010.

How Clothing Chain Uniqlo Is Taking Over The World (21)

And it hasn't stopped yet. Profits jumped 13% in the past six months, according to the Wall Street Journal, and its overseas sales continue to come in strong.

How Clothing Chain Uniqlo Is Taking Over The World (22)

Advertisem*nt

If Uniqlo's rapid growth continues, its ambitious plans to be the leader of retail in the U.S. and worldwide could become a reality.

How Clothing Chain Uniqlo Is Taking Over The World (23)

Read about the rise of another casual retailer:

How Clothing Chain Uniqlo Is Taking Over The World (24)

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How Clothing Chain Uniqlo Is Taking Over The World (2024)

FAQs

How Clothing Chain Uniqlo Is Taking Over The World? ›

UNIQLO's market share is expanding worldwide as it develops radical new materials together with the world's best fabric technology innovators and creates basic designs using superior natural materials. UNIQLO LifeWear is high-quality, innovative clothing that is universal in design and comfort.

Where does UNIQLO rank in the world? ›

Most Valuable Fashion Brands
Brand2023 Brand Value $
12Uniqlo$9.4 b
13Prada$5.9 b
14Tiffany & Co.$5.7 b
15Coach$5.5 b
96 more rows

How is UNIQLO set to become the world's top fashion retailer? ›

Under Tadashi Yanai's effective and visionary leadership, Uniqlo's parent company Fast Retailing targets to become the world's largest fast fashion retailer. One of the secrets behind Uniqlo's success is its strong delivery system supporting a clear brand promise, and its relentless commitment to innovation.

Why is UNIQLO struggling in the US? ›

Uniqlo opened its first U.S. store in 2005. A decade later, it was struggling. At the time, Fast Retailing said the brand's lack of recognition among U.S. consumers resulted in lower-than-expected sales. It then discounted excess inventory, swelling its financial losses, and closed some U.S. stores.

What is the UNIQLO controversy? ›

In January 2021, Uniqlo shirts were blocked at the US border over concerns of violations related to a ban on cotton products produced in the Xinjiang region of China due to reports of forced labour. A protest was filed by Uniqlo's parent company Fast Retailing, but was denied.

Who is bigger Zara or Uniqlo? ›

Japanese retail conglomerate Fast Retailing, which owns and operates Uniqlo, is now the most valuable fashion retailer in the world, outstripping Zara's parent-company Inditex. Fast Retailing reached a market value of $130 billion last week, eclipsing the Spanish firm for the first time, which sits around $125 billion.

Is Uniqlo considered high quality? ›

Uniqlo is highly valued for its top-quality basics, reasonable prices, and innovative fabric technologies such as HeatTech and AIRism. However, some customers have expressed dissatisfaction with inconsistent sizing and quality across different items, as well as poor customer service.

Why everyone loves UNIQLO? ›

Uniqlo has a clear vision of its brand.

To provide high-quality, performance-enhanced, basic casual wear at the lowest prices. Its clothing is up-to-date and fashionable, but not trendy. Its fabric innovation and in-house design provide exceptional and unique functional performance.

What are UNIQLO's weaknesses? ›

Weaknesses: Limited International Presence: Despite Japan's dominance, UNIQLO's global footprint is relatively small, limiting its revenue streams. Conflicts: past conflicts, such as advertising problems in South Korea, tarnished UNIQLO's reputation and caused financial losses.

Is UNIQLO owned by H&M? ›

Sweden's H&M operating 5,000 stores worldwide, Zara with 2,200 locations, owned by Spain's Inditex and Uniqlo with 2,300 stores, owned by Japan's Fast Retailing, are the undisputed leaders in so-called fast fashion. Fast fashion hit a speed bump in the Covid pandemic.

Why Uniqlo is better than H&M? ›

The designs that Uniqlo creates tend to be more simplistic and practical than those sold by Zara and H&M, and they appeal to a different audience as a result.

What are the problems faced by Uniqlo? ›

Uniqlo faces several unique challenges in the fashion industry, including difficulties with online and offline integration, price conflicts, lack of sales flow, and two-way traffic flow issues.

What is the unethical behavior of Uniqlo? ›

In 2016, when Uniqlo was cited for such abusive practices as excessive overtime, low pay, dangerous working conditions and oppressive management, the brand's reputation as an ethical producer was seriously damaged.

Does Uniqlo support Israel or Palestine? ›

Through the All-Product Recycling Initiative, UNIQLO and its holding company Fast Retailing has collected over 32 million items since 2001 to benefit people in need. UNIQLO's global clothing expertise matches the Agency's efforts to help Palestine refugees meet their basic needs.

Why is Uniqlo so expensive in the US? ›

UNIQLO Help

Starting from June 2023 there are several of our products have price increases. The impact of the increase in supply chain cost would include but not be limited to areas such as logistics, raw materials, and labor.

Who owns Uniqlo? ›

UNIQLO is owned by Fast Retailing, based in Japan.

What are the top 10 clothing retailers in the world? ›

The Titans: World's Top 12 Fashion Companies
  • LVMH (Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton) Market Cap: $421.6 billion. ...
  • Nike. Market Cap: $153.83 billion. ...
  • Dior. Market Cap: $145.86 billion. ...
  • Inditex (Zara) Market Cap: $134.04 billion. ...
  • TJX Companies. Market Cap: $108.17 billion. ...
  • Fast Retailing. Market Cap: $81.49 billion. ...
  • Cintas. ...
  • Lululemon.
Feb 26, 2024

What is the rating of UNIQLO company? ›

Uniqlo has an overall rating of 3.4 out of 5, based on over 5,845 reviews left anonymously by employees. 50% of employees would recommend working at Uniqlo to a friend and 44% have a positive outlook for the business. This rating has decreased by 1% over the last 12 months. Does Uniqlo pay their employees well?

Why is UNIQLO so special? ›

Its fabric innovation and in-house design provide exceptional and unique functional performance. Uniqlo provides “made for all' clothing that can be worn whenever and wherever. It is not, like some competitors, a firm that sells copies of the latest runway fashions.

Is UNIQLO a market leader? ›

Uniqlo has successfully established its brand as a global fashion leader by adopting a localized approach to marketing.

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