UNIQLO – The cheapest clothing store in Japan

In this article, we will talk about the famous Japanese casual clothing store that has expanded worldwide and is well-known for its prices. We will discuss UNIQLO – The cheapest clothing store in Japan.

In this Japanese giant, you can find casual clothing such as jeans, blouses, t-shirts, and many other quality pieces at a very low price compared to other stores. Here you can find clothes of any size.

The history of Uniqlo

It all started in 1949 when the Men’s Shop Ogori Shoji was founded in Ube in Yamaguchi province. In the meantime, the company grew and generated 6 million yen in capital in 1963.

It was only in 1984 that UNIQLO emerged in Fukuromachi in Hiroshima province. Uniqlo [ユニクロ] was founded by Tadashi Yanai and its annual revenue exceeds 12 billion dollars.

The first store in Tokyo opened in 1998 in the Harajuku district. By 2001, the company had over 500 stores throughout the country. The company went abroad for the first time in 2002, establishing a headquarters in China.

Today there are more than 900 Uniqlo stores throughout Japan and over 800 stores spread across other countries. Uniqlo is considered the third largest fast-fashion chain in the world, only behind Zara and H&M.

Uniqlo has stores in over 1300 locations across 18 countries on 4 continents, including Australia, Germany, Canada, China, Spain, France, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, the United Kingdom, Russia, Thailand, Taiwan, and the United States.

The store also has a good policy for employed staff and has even provided 3 days off per week for its employees, in addition to hiring foreigners and refugees. All this is due to the significant labor shortage in the country.

The company Fast Retailing is responsible for part of UNIQLO and uses a set of retail strategies and techniques from American companies like The Gap. Thus, UNIQLO manufactures its own clothing and sells it exclusively.

What can you find at UNIQLO?

UNIQLO has most of its pieces manufactured in Japan and values quality despite its low cost. We are not talking about brand-name clothes; Uniqlo is the brand itself and offers quality accessible to everyone.

The clothes from Uniqlo encompass shun [旬], which means moment or best moment, indicating that the clothing pieces sold follow fashion trends at the right time, neither too early nor too late.

The company also adopts the concept of Kino-bi [機能美], focused on function and beauty, which can involve the presentation and organization of its clothing in a functional and rational way. All of them create an artistic pattern and rhythm that reflect quality and characteristics that define modern Japanese culture.

Here you can find practically every type of clothing in different sizes, colors, models, and styles. These clothing pieces from Uniqlo can range from 500 to 3000 yen.

At Uniqlo, you can find exclusive clothing and collaborations at a more affordable price. It is even possible to find Yukata at a good price, as well as suits and other formal wear that are widely used in Japan.

Uniqlo Ginza – The largest store in Japan

The Uniqlo in Ginza is the largest clothing store in Japan with an incredible 12 floors and 530 employees at the same time to serve tourists and Japanese shoppers non-stop. Its location is on the famous Fifth Avenue of Tokyo in Ginza.

All the floors of the store are made of glass, and its facade features various mannequins that rotate all at the same time and in the same direction, across all 12 floors of the building. An interesting view that attracts tourists visiting the luxury district.

The Uniqlo store in Ginza has exclusive products that are not found in other stores of the same brand. Considered the best clothing store in Japan, here you can find clothes for cold weather and coats regardless of the season, all at a super affordable price.

Despite being located in Ginza, this store differentiates itself from most in the area by not being a famous brand. It is also worth mentioning that in the city of Osaka, you can find another giant Uniqlo store in Shinsaibashi with a design that is also worth visiting.

Is Uniqlo the cheapest store in Japan?

Uniqlo is much cheaper in Japan than in any other physical retail location worldwide. Of course, there are other small stores and outlets that may have better deals, but if you don’t want to search every corner of Japan, Uniqlo is your best choice.

Another cheap option is to buy used clothing, something very common in Japan. There are large stores filled with used clothes that look practically new. Many people wear them little and end up donating them to one of these second-hand stores.

Unfortunately, wearing formal clothing here in Goiás is seen as being religious, while in Japan, practically everyone is in formal wear or suits.

If you are looking for other stores that are alternatives to UNIQLO in Japan, you can visit GU, WEGO, SHIMAMURA, and HONEYS. I hope you enjoyed the article! We appreciate your comments and shares.