The Fabric of Japan Comes to the United States

    NEW YORK and TOKYO, June 15 /PRNewswire/ -- UNIQLO, Japan's most popular
 apparel retailer and a worldwide leader in casual wear, has announced plans to
 expand into the United States.  UNIQLO offers consumers of all ages
 fashionable, high-quality, value-priced casual separates, with an amazingly
 diverse array of colors, details, and fabrics.  The U.S. launch begins with 3
 stores opening in New Jersey malls this fall.
     The three stores are scheduled to open this fall in three highly-
 trafficked New Jersey malls -- Menlo Park Mall in Edison, Rockaway Townsquare
 in Rockaway and Freehold Raceway Mall in Freehold.  Each store will be between
 8,000 and 10,000 square feet, will include women's, men's and children's
 merchandise and will replicate the Japanese shopping experience, widely held
 to be the most service-oriented in the world.
     "Casual clothing originates in the U.S., and it has been a dream of mine
 to compete in this market since founding the company," said Tadashi Yanai,
 chairman and chief executive officer of UNIQLO.  "The U.S. market is the
 largest market in the world. To continue to grow in the global marketplace and
 be a worldwide leader, we must prosper in the United States."
     The New Jersey stores will act as a pilot, introducing the brand, the
 products and the shopping experience to the U.S. market.  Unlike other
 international retailers that typically launch in a new market by introducing a
 large flagship store in a major city, UNIQLO is launching in typical New
 Jersey malls in order to gain traction with American consumers where they
 normally shop.
     "We want our stores to be your neighbor, where you go regularly for your
 everyday fashion basics," said Nobuo Domae, executive vice president and head
 of U.S. operations for UNIQLO.  "We plan to revolutionize the casual wear
 market in the U.S., just as we did in Japan."
     Once the three pilot stores are stable and profitable, UNIQLO plans to
 rapidly expand throughout the United States.  By 2010, UNIQLO hopes to achieve
 $1 billion in U.S. sales and will grow accordingly to reach this goal.
     UNIQLO opened its first shop in Hiroshima in 1984.  Since then, the
 apparel retailer has become an integral component of Japanese culture,
 appealing to male and female consumers of all ages -- from infants to
 grandparents.  There are now more than 680 stores across Japan, China and the
 United Kingdom.
     With near universal brand recognition, UNIQLO has become, both literally
 and figuratively, part of the fabric of modern Japanese culture.  The clothes
 act as components, allowing consumers to personalize their style rather than
 be characterized by a brand.  As a result, the products can be paired with
 everyday pieces as easily as couture in order to enhance the wearer's
 individual style.
     The U.S. UNIQLO shopping experience will be the same as the Japanese
 experience, putting the customer first, offering friendly, knowledgeable,
 available salespeople, alterations while you wait, and a clean, direct and
 easy to follow sales floor.
 
     About UNIQLO
     UNIQLO's mission, based on the vision of founder Tadashi Yanai, is to
 empower individuals with the basic clothing pieces to create a unique style of
 their own.  Mr. Yanai's belief that, "if the clothes shout louder than the
 person, the person cannot be heard," has led to the company's phenomenal
 success and near universal brand recognition in Japan.
     Uniqlo is a brand of Fast Retailing Co., Ltd. and among the top ten
 specialty apparel retailers in the world.  Other group companies include
 Theory, Comptoir des Cotonniers, Aspesi, National Standard and One Zone.  For
 more information, visit http://www.uniqlo-usa.com .
 
      Contact:  Alexis Lipshultz
                Euro RSCG Magnet
                212.367.6939
                alexis.lipshultz@eurorscg.com
 
                Mike Kiser
                UNIQLO USA, Inc.
                212.221.9037
                mike.kiser@uniqlo-usa.com
 
 

SOURCE  UNIQLO