CASE STUDY Uniqlo - Contagious Magazine

case study / uniqlo /
customers in the suburban stores.' UNIQLO, it would
seem, was once again ready for a stab at globalisation
– combining what it had learnt from the UK with the fresh
and most importantly, considered new brand identity.
From Tokyo to NYC
In November 2006, UNIQLO opened its global flagship
store in the SoHo fashion district of Manhattan. Prior to
the opening, several shipping containers were hoisted –
via crane and flat bed truck – into selected locations
around New York. Powered by an external generator,
these temporary outlets contained neatly folded stacks
of clothing and gave a glimpse of the kind of utilitarian
perfection preached by the brand. However, once the
store itself opened, it would become apparent that this
sense of utility had been perfectly blended with a fresh,
cosmopolitan feel – every bit in keeping with its highprofile
location. Designed by renowned architect
Masamichi Katayama of Wonderwall, Tokyo, the 36,000
square foot space epitomises a carefully constructed
juxtaposition between the brand's Japanese heritage
and a contemporary, culturally inclusive retail experience.
Scott Kraenzlein, account executive with MP Creative,
emphasises the challenge encountered when striking a
balance with the new store: 'UNIQLO has always been
more about a service than a fashion brand; however,
your average Manhattan shopper is not only extremely
style conscious, but also has higher expectations of
what a retail experience should encompass. Above all,
simplicity is key and the clothes are given the space to
speak for themselves, allowing customers to become
acquainted with the brand at their own pace.'
One device used to introduce the UNIQLO philosophy
to New Yorkers, was the UNIQLO Paper, conceived by
MP Creative. Distributed in-store and available online via
a Flash-enabled application, the free magazine features
interviews with designers, local celebrities and artists,
illustrating the cultural relevance of the brand. 'We
wanted to create a magazine that was more than the
standard look-books you get at other stores,' explains
Marcus Kiersztan, 'We wanted to align the brand with
the art and design industry.'
A large in-store gallery was used to exhibit a range of
over 100 limited-edition, exclusive T-shirt designs from
over 40 artists including Yayoi Kusama, Tezuka and
Godzilla. This space was then used from Spring 2007
to house products featuring in the first installment of the
UT Campaign. Yet another example of a distinctly
Japanese retail device being tailored for a global market,
the project rode on the back of the phenomenal success
of the exclusive UT Store in Harajuku, Tokyo. This shop,
devised by Kashiwa Sato, sells limited-edition T-shirts
packaged in plastic tubes on open shelves, providing a
super-efficient self-service system that is more Japanese
convenience store than fussy fashion retailer. The
campaign was supported by print, poster and in-store
advertising, featuring portraits by renowned fashion
snapper Terry Richardson. In spring 2008, the project
launched again on a global scale, this time with Brit Matt
Irwin shooting 300 street-cast models in Tokyo, New
York and London.
The success of the new formula in NYC proved that
UNIQLO was finally striking the right balance for the
western retail environment. Kensuke Suwa, UNIQLO
global marketing director, comments on the expansion:
'Each new territory spells new challenges as we move
towards becoming a truly global brand – be they internal
or external factors. However, after the lessons we learnt
back in 2001, we now approach each new market
tentatively and look to gain a solid understanding prior to
large scale-commitment.'
London calling
Clearly, whatever had originally been lost in translation
was finally being found. One year on from the opening
of the global flagship store in New York, the brand was
once again ready to tackle its territorial Achilles heel and
take on the UK fashion market right where it is distilled
to its most competitive and fickle – the high street. And
what better high street to take on, than Oxford Street in
central London? With over 200m visitors and 300 retailers
taking approximately £5.5bn (€7bn) every year, this is
one of the busiest retail environments in the world.
The same collaborative process that gave birth to the
NY store was employed in the design and execution of
not one, but two new stores which opened simultaneously
at either end of Oxford Street in November 2007. The
larger of the two premises (nearer the more up-market
Mayfair area) is the official European UNIQLO flagship
store, echoing in terms of interior design and architecture,
many of the features found in the New York location.
Four huge revolving mannequin boxes reach up to the
first floor, displaying the current seasonal offerings and
for the first time outside Japan, a dedicated UT 'future