Brand: UNIQLO
Country of Origin: Japan 🇯🇵
First UNIQLO Store: 1984
Industry: Apparel, Fashion & Retail
Company: UNIQLO CO., LTD.
Parent Company: Fast Retailing Co., Ltd.
Headquarters: Yamaguchi, Japan
President & CEO, UNIQLO CO., LTD.: Daisuke Tsukagoshi
Official Website: UNIQLO
Featured By: ASIA Best Brands — Asian Brands
About UNIQLO
UNIQLO is a Japanese apparel brand built around LifeWear — simple, high-quality everyday clothing designed to make daily life more comfortable.
From its first store in Hiroshima, the brand has expanded into a major international retailer with 2,499 stores worldwide as of August 31, 2026, including 782 in Japan and 1,717 internationally.
From Hiroshima to a Global Brand
The first UNIQLO store opened in Hiroshima in June 1984 under the name Unique Clothing Warehouse.
The original concept was to make casual clothing easy to browse and buy. UNIQLO later developed an integrated specialty retailer model covering product development, manufacturing and retail, giving it greater control over quality, scale and pricing.
Today, UNIQLO CO., LTD. is part of Fast Retailing, with Daisuke Tsukagoshi serving as President and CEO of UNIQLO.
LifeWear Instead of Fast Fashion
At the centre of UNIQLO is its LifeWear philosophy.
Rather than building its identity primarily around short-lived fashion trends, UNIQLO focuses on clothing designed for everyday use — combining simplicity, functionality, quality and continuous improvement.
The concept includes wardrobe essentials such as T-shirts, knitwear, jeans, outerwear and functional innerwear designed to work across different lifestyles and climates.
HEATTECH, AIRism and Functional Clothing
HEATTECH – Thin, yet warm thermal clothing. Image Source: UNIQLO.
Material innovation has become one of UNIQLO’s strongest differentiators.
HEATTECH, developed with Japanese textile company Toray, uses specialised fibres that absorb moisture from the body and convert that energy into warmth. The technology first reached the market in 2003 and has continued to evolve.
AIRism takes the opposite approach, using ultra-fine fibres and moisture-management technology to help clothing dry quickly and remain comfortable in warm or humid conditions.
These technologies demonstrate how UNIQLO combines apparel design with textile engineering to solve practical everyday needs.
Combining Stores and Digital Retail
UNIQLO continues to invest in large flagship stores, local neighbourhood locations and e-commerce as interconnected parts of the same retail experience.
Rather than using stores simply as points of sale, Fast Retailing increasingly treats them as places where customers can understand the value, functionality and styling of LifeWear.
This strategy contributed to revenue and profit growth across every UNIQLO region in fiscal 2026.
Extending the Life of Clothing
RE.UNIQLO – A New Life For UNIQLO Clothing. Image Source: UNIQLO.
UNIQLO is also expanding efforts to keep clothing in use for longer through RE.UNIQLO.
The initiative covers reducing waste, reusing garments and recycling materials. Selected RE.UNIQLO STUDIO locations provide repair and remake services, including stitching, alterations and customisation.
UNIQLO’s clothing collection programme began in 2006. By August 2025, approximately 63.71 million items had been donated worldwide to people in need, according to the company.
Asia at the Heart of UNIQLO
Asia remains fundamental to UNIQLO’s identity and international growth.
Alongside Japan, the brand has extensive operations across Greater China, South Korea, Southeast Asia and India.
As of September 30, 2026, UNIQLO operated 60 stores in Malaysia, 74 in Thailand, 79 in the Philippines, 76 in Indonesia, 32 in Vietnam and 29 in Singapore.
India has also become an expanding market, reaching 20 stores by September 2026.
In fiscal 2026, South Korea and the Southeast Asia, India & Australia region achieved double-digit growth in both revenue and profit, highlighting Asia’s importance to UNIQLO’s global expansion.
Record Growth in 2026
UNIQLO delivered record results in fiscal 2026.
UNIQLO Japan generated:
- ¥1.0848 trillion in revenue
- ¥196.0 billion in business profit
UNIQLO International generated:
- ¥2.4111 trillion in revenue
- ¥439.8 billion in business profit
International revenue increased 26.2% year over year, while international business profit increased 44.1%.
These are UNIQLO segment figures. Fast Retailing Group as a whole generated ¥3.9633 trillion in consolidated revenue during fiscal 2026, which also includes GU and other businesses.
Why UNIQLO Is Featured on ASIA Best Brands
UNIQLO demonstrates how a Japanese apparel company can build global recognition without abandoning simplicity.
From its first Hiroshima store to LifeWear, HEATTECH, AIRism and RE.UNIQLO, the brand has combined functional design with textile innovation and a highly scalable retail model.
Its strong presence throughout Japan, Greater China, South Korea, India and Southeast Asia also places Asia firmly at the centre of its global story.
By combining simplicity, quality, functionality and continuous improvement, UNIQLO remains one of Asia’s most influential global apparel brands featured on ASIA Best Brands.
Official Website:
UNIQLO Official Website
Category: Apparel | Fashion | Retail
Tags: UNIQLO, LifeWear, HEATTECH, AIRism, Japanese Fashion, Functional Clothing, RE.UNIQLO, Fast Retailing, Asia, ASIA Best Brands
Sources
1. Fast Retailing — UNIQLO History
Official history covering the first UNIQLO store and development of the brand.
Fast Retailing — UNIQLO History
2. Fast Retailing — FY2026 Results
Official latest full-year figures for UNIQLO Japan, UNIQLO International and Fast Retailing.
Fast Retailing FY2026 Results
3. Fast Retailing — UNIQLO Business Segments
Official information covering revenue, profit and store numbers.
UNIQLO Business Overview
4. Fast Retailing — UNIQLO Leadership
Official current profile of UNIQLO President & CEO Daisuke Tsukagoshi.
Daisuke Tsukagoshi Profile
5. UNIQLO — LifeWear
Official explanation of the LifeWear philosophy and functional clothing technologies.
UNIQLO LifeWear
6. Fast Retailing — Southeast Asia & Oceania
Official current store information for Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam.
UNIQLO Southeast Asia & Oceania
7. Fast Retailing — South Asia
Official information covering UNIQLO’s India operations and current store network.
UNIQLO South Asia
8. Fast Retailing — RE.UNIQLO
Official information covering clothing repair, reuse and recycling initiatives.
RE.UNIQLO Initiatives