BCBusiness

TOP: COURTESY OF UNIQLO JULY/AUGUST 2017 BCBUSINESS 21 perfectly into the active and diverse lifestyle of Vancouver- ites," says the com- pany's Canadian COO, Yasuhiro Hayashi. This optimism under- pins Uniqlo's West Coast beachhead at Burnaby's Metrotown, which will o er its core range for men, women and kids—including HeatTech, garments that trap body heat for warmth, which have sold a billion pieces. Uniqlo succeeds in local markets because it comes o as a conscientious and well-priced clothing brand, not a giant with annual revenue of US$17 billion that just overtook the Gap as the world's number three specialty apparel retailer after H&M Hennes & Mauritz AB and Zara (Industria de Diseño Textil S.A.). But the company (unlike Van- couver's other new Asian retail import, Miniso Industries Co. Ltd.) has never positioned itself as disposable fast fashion. "Their production process can take up to one year for a piece of cloth- ing to be fully produced," says John C. Jay, president of global creative at Fast Retailing Ltd., Uniqlo's parent. Uniqlo doesn't work like other mass retailers: its jeans are crafted by Japanese premium denim manufacturer Kaihara, which has been indigo- dying textiles since the 1960s. G enerally, Vancouver has two gears when it comes to clothing: lounge wear and workout wear, both with an emphasis on tech- nical fabrics and comfort. So, when Japanese retail juggernaut Uniqlo announced it would land on our shores in late September, it felt almost overdue. Since 1984, the Japanese company has evolved from a tiny unisex casualwear store in Hiroshima to global cult-fave phenom, thanks to garments using tech-forward, game-changing fabrics (no-stink, no-sweat, light-re¤ecting—even 3D-printed cashmere is in the works), all at democratic prices. But in a city used to paying triple digits for performance jeggings, will Uniqlo be met with stam- pedes of customers, or will it be the Target of 2017? "We believe that Uniqlo's simple yet innovative high- quality clothing that's universal in design and comfort can ¨t Fashion Statement RETAIL And for any new factory it con- siders, "sewing whisperers" are ¤own in to listen to the sewing machines to ensure best quality. Another deciding factor will be Uniqlo's ability to forge a local connection. In New York, it hosts T-shirt-making workshops for children from homeless shelters, and in a bold global stroke, Britain's Hana Tajima designs hijabs for the company in light weight fabrics. Domestic collaborations are part of the brand's essence: "Japan doesn't really have many rock stars or ¨lm stars because it's a country geared toward community," Hayashi explains. And unlike Target Canada's, Uniqlo's supply chain won't depend on a U.S. network (its Canadian head oªce is in Toronto so it can directly liaise with suppliers), reducing the chance of empty shelves. In a socially progressive city, this mindful global chain's ethos could end up being all things to all people—just like its clothes. RISE OF A STYLE ICON $142,000 Median price of B.C. recreational properties sold last year, a 14 per cent increase from 2015 • Uniqlo is a brand of Fast Retailing Co. Ltd., a global Japanese retail holding company that designs, manufactures and sells clothing under seven main brands: Comptoir des Cotonniers, GU, Helmut Lang, J Brand, Princesse tam.tam, Theory and Uniqlo • Uniqlo has roughly 1,800 stores in 18 markets worldwide, including Japan, Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Indo- nesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, the U.K. and the U.S. SOURCE: UNIQLO 78% Share of British Columbians who have spent time in a cabin SENSIBLE CLOTHING Uniqlo opens this fall at Metropolis at Metrotown $4,200,000 / $4,000 B.C.'s most and least expensive recreational property sales last year, in Squamish and Penticton, respectively 843 Size, in acres, of the largest B.C. recreational property sold in 2016 Japanese apparel giant Uniqlo hopes to win over Vancouver shoppers with its low-priced quality clothing and mindful ethos by Amanda Ross

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