UNIQLO

Although Uniqlo is a fixture in shopping streets of New York, parent Fast Retailing Co. is giving its flagship clothing brand a hefty marketing budget to reach Iowa and Texas.

Tools and services are helping fashion and beauty industries stem the billions of dollars they reportedly lose due to abandoned carts by taking the friction out of the checkout stage, online and off.

As this generation’s spending power and appetite for fashion grows, BoF's research and analysis think tank looks at the most-revered brands among young fashion shoppers.

From seamless online-to-offline offerings to Metaverse-inspired installations, the standards of brick-and-mortar retail have evolved since the pandemic struck.

The slim tapered fit no longer dominates the denim category as wider, ‘90s-reminiscent pant styles gain popularity.

The company said the decision was the result of operational challenges and the worsening conflict in Ukraine. It had faced public pressure to pull back.

The Uniqlo owner said it will continue to operate in Russia, even international pressure in response to the country’s invasion of Ukraine sees waves of companies pull out.

Global players, as well as brands and retailers from neighbouring Southeast Asian countries, are coming up against growing consumer loyalty for local players as well as hyper-localised business environments and cultural needs.

Japanese apparel giant Uniqlo sees India as the next major battleground in its global expansion plan, but competitors have already gained first-mover advantage there. BoF investigates how one of the world’s largest fashion retailers aims to seize a leadership position by unlocking the immense potential of a market whose unbridled dynamism is equalled only by its extreme complexity.

Labour activists have long claimed that brands can’t be trusted to self-regulate. Now, a series of lawsuits are opening a new frontier in efforts to hold brands accountable for abuses in their supply chains.