Dive Brief:
- Executing its store expansion plans, Uniqlo is opening 11 new stores across Texas and California, the retailer announced Friday. The company plans to open over 20 stores this year in North America.
- It marks the first time the retailer is opening stores in Texas, with locations planned for Houston and Dallas. Store openings this year are also scheduled for Sacramento, San Diego, Los Angeles and San Francisco.
- The company said it plans to have 200 locations in North America by 2027. It currently has 74 stores in North America and more than 2,400 locations globally.
Dive Insight:
Uniqlo first announced plans to open more stores in North America in December. In its 2023 year-end report, the company also said it will grow its store count in China, Southeast Asia, India and Australia.
Uniqlo decided to open stores in Texas in response to customer demand, Yoshihide Shindo, Uniqlo USA CEO, said in a statement. The company also noted that its North American division turned a profit in fiscal year 2022, followed by “significant growth” the following year.
The retailer opened its first North American location in the U.S. in 2005.
“In addition to this incredibly momentous step for Uniqlo in the U.S. and for our business globally, we are also furthering our commitment to the West Coast,” Shindo said in a statement. “We have been listening to our customers in these regions, where we have seen strong interest from e-commerce, and look forward to bringing them the full Uniqlo LifeWear experience when we open our doors this Fall/Winter.”
Amid its expansion plans, Takahiro Tambara, CIO of Uniqlo’s parent company Fast Retailing, told Retail Dive last year that the company introduced RFID technology to its supply chain operations and self-checkout services. Tambara said RFID tech is the foundation of creating a great in-person customer experience.
“Our strength is having retail stores. So we have been developing our digital platform so that customers can have a seamless shopping experience,” Tambara said at the time.
Fast Retailing announced leadership changes at Uniqlo last year. In August, the company named then-board director and global CEO Daisuke Tsukagoshi as its new executive director, president and COO of Uniqlo. Fast Retailing founder Tadashi Yanai was named CEO of Uniqlo.
