Uniqlo turns three in the India market; launches second edition of its collaboration with Italian luxury fashion house Marni
The Hindu
Headquartered in Tokyo, the Japanese apparel brand focusses on technology and sustainability, and its latest collection of fleece jackets is made of recycled PET bottles
At the Uniqlo showrooms, it is quite likely that you may find a shirt that you had seen two years back still on the racks. Well, the garment might look the same, but it is not. Instead, it is an upgraded version. “We try to better our items year after year, using Japanese technology and precision. We are always trying to find ways to bring more comfort to our clients,” says Tomohiko Sei, CEO, Uniqlo, over a video call from Gurgaon.
Headquartered in Tokyo, the Japanese apparel brand opened its first store in India in October 2019 in New Delhi. It did take longer than its other competitors like H&M, Zara, and Marks and Spencer to venture into the Indian market. “We had been looking for business opportunities. We wanted the perfect conditions to launch. What’s important is how we bring our products, and what works. When we found the right partners in India and a strong internal team, we launched,” says Tomohiko.
Uniqlo has nine stores in India (seven stores in Delhi NCR, one in Chandigarh, and one in Lucknow) with the largest one at 35,000 square feet in the capital at Ambience Mall, Vasant Kunj. Considering the brand started operations in India just four months before the pandemic and ensuing lockdown, the first three years were not profitable. They expedited the e-commerce platform and launched it by July 2021. But after three years here, the brand is now making progress. “For the fiscal year of 21-22, we posted a net profit of 21.49 crores in India,” he adds.
We are evaluating our next big market, says Tomohiko, adding that while the brand does not yet have physical stores in the south, Bengaluru is one of its top performing markets on the ecommerce channel. “We have more than 12,000 products online and are servicing 17,000 pincodes in India.” Everything that is launched in Japan finds its way to the Indian market, except perhaps pieces that are not required here, like the thick jackets that Russian winters demand.
Ever since its inception in 1984, Uniqlo has always done casual wear, specifically everyday essential clothing. While the catalogue of products has increased ever since, Sei says they never chase short term fashion but focus on fashion technology. “We are very conscious of what we are producing, comfort and quality. Over the years technologies such as Heattech, Airism have helped create that layer of comfort for the consumers. As part of its sustainability efforts, from Fall/Winter 2022 season, UNIQLO Furry Fleece Zip Jackets are now made from 100% recycled polyester, mainly from recycled PET bottles,” he says.
Understanding the diverse clientele, Uniqlo’s offerings range from simple wear and garments with designs created by pop culture and manga artists to designer collaborations with international names such as JW Anderson, Marni, and Mame Kurogouchi. The response for the collaboration with Marni has been good because of the colours and the aesthetics of the collection. The second edition of the UNIQLO X Marni collection will launch on December 16.
Uniqlo sources from India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Vietnam, China, Japan and Bangladesh. “India is an important market and the idea is to prosper and grow together not just with the customer but with the society at large by creating employment opportunities. We want to expand our local production in India,” concludes Tomohiko.
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