Uniqlo's Shanghai Flagship Store To Open On September 30

According to Pan Ning, global senior executive vice president of Uniqlo's parent company Fast Retailing Company Limited, Uniqlo's new flagship store in Shanghai, which is the brand's largest flagship store in the world, will be open on September 30, 2013.

Prior to this, Uniqlo said it plans to open this new flagship store by the end of 2013. However, the information revealed by Pan to local media brings forward the opening date.

Based on previously disclosed information, the scale of this new flagship store will exceed those in Tokyo, New York, and Paris. This new flagship store will have an area of 6,600 square meters. It will be located at a standalone building in Huaihai Road, a business area in Shanghai. At present, the company's largest flagship store is in Tokyo, with an area of 4,959 square meters.

Apart from the new flagship store, Uniqlo also plans to open 80 to 100 new stores each year and all these stores will be self-owned stores. At present, this Japanese fast fashion apparel brand has 212 outlets in mainland China, exceeding its competitors like Zara and H&M.

Pan also revealed that the new Uniqlo flagship store will introduce Fast Retailing's four other brands, and each will have a special zone in the store. It is the first time for these brands to enter the Chinese market.

In 2012, Uniqlo gained sales of USD7 billion in its domestic Japanese market. According to the plan of the company, it expects to make sales of USD11 billion in mainland China by 2020. Pan said they are very confident in achieving the goal and have no intention to adjust it.