Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to clarify how a competitive company develops its own method to create innovation by utilizing imitation and learning.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper examines the case of Fast Retailing from the viewpoint of imitation strategy.
Findings
Fast Retailing constantly explores and imports business ideas, evolves its business model through trial and error and finally creates innovation.
Practical implications
The paper emphasizes the importance of imitation strategy that flexibly accepts and extends business ideas through learning, creates new values by evolving a business model and combines them with corporate identity and brand.
Originality/value
The case study of Fast Retailing suggests that the successful imitation is enabled by flexible corporate culture and redefining its corporate identity and brand through the process of evolving its business model.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This research was supported by a Chuo University Grant for Special Research.
Citation
Huang, P.-Y., Kobayashi, S. and Isomura, K. (2014), "How UNIQLO evolves its value proposition and brand image: imitation, trial and error and innovation", Strategic Direction, Vol. 30 No. 7, pp. 42-45. https://doi.org/10.1108/SD-04-2014-0058
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2014, Emerald Group Publishing Limited
