New flagship store to add to Tokyo's clothing brand options

Fashion brand g.u., Uniqlo's lower-priced sister brand, has announced that it will open a flagship store in Tokyo's Ginza district on March 30, becoming the latest store specializing in affordable clothing to take up residence in the city's most upmarket shopping district.

The chain's new five-storey premises will be a 1,500-square-meter retail location that is presently occupied by Uniqlo, and will offer fashionable items at low prices, including lines of children's clothing.

Both companies are part of the Fast Retailing group, with Uniqlo focusing more on basic, casual clothing, while g.u. sells trendier and more affordable products. The company's profile was raised dramatically in 2009 when it started selling jeans for Y990 (€10.03) and had to double output from the 500,000 pairs it had anticipated selling in the first year.

The jeans, for both men and women, accounted for around 25 percent of all g.u. sales over the year and led to a rise in sales of other denim products, including shorts and miniskirts.

The g.u. brand is stepping up launches of large-scale stores in Japan as part of its efforts to have 200 locations across the country and sales of Y50 billion (€506.5 million) in the year that ends on August 31, 2013. g.u. also has definite plans to open stores overseas, according to CEO Osamu Yunoki.

"I would also like to see g.u. begin to expand globally in the near future," he said in a statement. "We believe the successful expansion of Uniqlo globally suggests there is also ample need for a brand like g.u. in the world."

Flagship stores were opened in Osaka's Shinsaibashi district in 2010 and in Tokyo's Ikebukuro in 2011, increasing the brand's recognition and customer base, particularly among young consumers.

By opening a store in the Ginza district -- a must-see destination for any foreign visitors to Japan -- the company is aiming to give the brand greater global exposure and a springboard from which to expand into overseas markets in the future.

Despite the ongoing economic downturn, fashion brands are faring well in Japan -- particularly those that have positioned themselves at the lower end of the price range. As well as the aggressive expansion policy of Uniqlo, Abercrombie & Fitch, H&M from Sweden and the Spanish chain Zara are stepping up their presence in Japan, along with US retailers Forever 21 and Gap.

JR