When was uniqlo established

From the recognizable red and white logo, to their vast array of classic garments and high profile collaborations, the brand has taken the world by storm. Since its humble beginnings as an apparel company which was founded in Yamaguchi in later established under its namesake in , it now has over a thousand stores worldwide. In true Japanese style, Uniqlo has been able to keep things classic, yet contemporary. Helping people refine and redefine their wardrobes, the brand has been instrumental in offering a wide range of well curated basics from the humble button down and chino to the parka and puffer jacket.

So sit back and put your feet up as we charter the course of Uniqlo over the decades. Since day one the brand has prided itself on producing high quality casual wear at affordable prices, which customers can combine with their own unique style.

A steady consciousness of constant change, diversity, and the challenging of conventions. And while Yanai always had the intention to build an empire of menswear stores, the storied success of Unilqo could only have been a dream when he started out. Born in into post-war Japan, times were tough. But, inspired by the teachings of American management expert Peter Drucker, Yanai came to understand that he could build his empire and become a wealthy man of good standing, without being a corrupt business tycoon.

GAP had taken the market by storm and Yanai wanted the same for Uniqlo. Uniqlo in Seattle, Washington image via Uniqlo. Cutting production costs and in turn increasing profits, set the stage for Uniqlo to become the global giant which we know it as today. In order for The Gap to have the same reach per capita, it would need to open 21, new stores in the United States. Tadashi Yanai was born in in the Yamaguchi Prefecture in Japan. When Yanai was handed his family's menswear shop, he had designs to put his own spin on the store.

One store wasn't enough: he wanted to build an empire. Tadashi admired the work of American management expert Peter Drucker, business philosophy said that money and morality need not be mutually exclusive. Yanai realized he could build his empire and become a very wealthy man without corrupting his soul. From Drucker's teachings, Yanai learned that it was best to think first about what customers want, rather than what the company or owner wants to sell.

He added women's clothing to his menswear store and rebranded the entire operation in as Unique Clothing Warehouse which he later shortened to Uniqlo. He also soon began expanding into the suburbs. In the late s, Tadashi Yanai sought out Mickey Drexler, then president of The Gap, during a time when Uniqlo was experiencing tremendous growth and market saturation. Tadashi invited Mickey to breakfast and set out to study his every move in order to perfectly replicate everything The Gap did.

Yanai was unabashed in his desire to imitate The Gap. Immediately after meeting with Drexler, Uniqlo began copying The Gap's business model of producing and exclusively selling all of its own clothing. Yanai even had Gap-like commercials made for Uniqlo with celebrities dancing around in khakis. Imitating The Gap would prove to be a massively successful strategy for Uniqlo and its parent company Fast Retailing.

Tadashi Yanai in In the early s, a recession in Japan helped put Uniqlo on the map. People wanted cheaper goods and Uniqlo delivered. In , Tadashi made a move that was absolutely unprecedented for a Japanese company: He shifted all production to China. This allowed him to cut the cost of the clothing he sold and further increase profits.

But there were some big stumbles along the way. By , Yanai was ready to expand globally. He opened 21 stores in and around London. A few years later, Uniqlo opened in three malls in New Jersey. World globe An icon of the world globe, indicating different international options.

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Log out. US Markets Loading H M S In the news. Megan Durisin. The first Uniqlo opened its doors in Hiroshima, Japan in The company originally called itself "Unique Clothing Warehouse. In the early s, the Japanese economy hit a major slump. And Uniqlo's cheap clothes got popular fast. By , ten years after the first store opened, Uniqlos were in operation.

The company saw a rise in popularity after the launch of a fleece apparel campaign in , 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 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. So far, there are only seven stores in the U. But there plans to open 1, 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.