Uniqlo

Uniqlo Co., Ltd. (株式会社ユニクロ, Kabushiki-gaisha Yunikuro), commonly known as Uniqlo (US: YOO-nee-kloh; Japanese pronunciation: [jɯnikɯɾo]), is a Japanese casual-wear designer and retailer and a wholly owned subsidiary of Fast Retailing. The Uniqlo brand originated in 1984, when Fast Retailing's predecessor, Ogori Shoji, opened the first Uniqlo store in Hiroshima. The present Uniqlo Co., Ltd. was established in 1974 as Sun Road Co., Ltd. (サンロード株式会社) and took its current name in 2005 when Fast Retailing transferred its domestic Uniqlo operations to the company. As of 31 May 2026, Uniqlo operated 2,529 stores worldwide, including 785 in Japan and 1,744 outside Japan. Its business model integrates product planning, material procurement, production, distribution, and retailing, and the company markets its clothing under the LifeWear concept, which emphasizes simple, functional, and continually improved everyday clothing. Technology has played an important role in this model, ranging from functional-material development to RFID-enabled logistics automation, digital demand forecasting, and the analysis of customer feedback using artificial intelligence. Uniqlo began expanding outside Japan with stores in the United Kingdom in 2001 and subsequently developed a large retail presence in East and Southeast Asia, Europe, North America, and other markets. Among its best-known product lines are Heattech and Airism, developed through its long-running relationship with Toray Industries.