PH to host Uniqlo’s biggest flagship store in Asean

Fast fashion giant Uniqlo said it would open a global flagship store in the Philippines later this year, calling it the biggest not only in the country but in the rest of Southeast Asia.

The opening of a global flagship store in Manila highlights the importance of the Philippines in Uniqlo’s growth plans worldwide, the company said.

This will add to global flagship stores in key locations today, including New York’s Fifth Avenue, London’s Oxford Street, Paris’ Opera District, Ginza in Tokyo and Orchard Road in Singapore.

In a statement, the company said that the flagship store would be located in Glorietta 5 in Makati’s central business and commercial district.

Uniqlo said it has chosen Manila as the location of its newest flagship store to strengthen the foundation of its business in region—a key global growth engine for the brand. The store will mark the 15th global flagship store for Uniqlo in 11 markets around the world.

“We are honored and excited to open our first Uniqlo Global Flagship Store in the Philippines. Having been a member of the local retail scene since 2012, we remain committed to contributing to the local community and to being an integral part of Manila’s growth and future,” said Satoshi Hatase, chief executive of Uniqlo Southeast Asia and Oceania.

The store will have a sales floor area of 4,100 square meters, where Uniqlo said it would offer local and international customers a huge shopping area and a world-class immersive shopping experience featuring large visual displays and state-of-the-art design concepts.

As with other global flagship stores, the store will also showcase the full lineup of “LifeWear” for men, women, kids and babies.

“This exciting new retail environment and experience will help put our Manila business in the global spotlight. We sense growing enthusiasm in the community here and hope to share the very best of the Filipino lifestyle, culture and optimism with the world through our flagship store,” Hatase added. —ROY STEPHEN C. CANIVEL