Ogori Shoji, a Fast Retailing Yamaguchi-based company, was operating a men’s clothing shop known as Sen’s Shop OS. In the year 1949, Fast Retailing company introduced Uniqlo, a clothing brand in Japan. The brand is now listed on the Tokyo stock exchange as well. It started in Hiroshima as unisex casual wear and was earlier known as “Unique Clothing Warehouse.” The name Uniqlo is derived from the phrase “Unique Clothing”. Today the company manufactures clothes for men, women, and kids irrespective of their ethnicity and background.
The owner of the brand Yanai wants to go beyond the primary mission, which is to augment the lives of its consumers by supplying great clothing across the world. The brand now aims to become the top private label retailer in the world. It has already reached the number 2 spot in Japan. However, the company aims to become the number one spot in each country.
Until the year 1994, the brand had over 100 stores across Japan. This subsidiary of Fast Retailing now operates in 13 different countries and has more than 1100 stores. Its target age group is between 18 to 34 years.
The vision and mission of the company are to stay abreast with the current style and fashion trends. Along with that, it also focuses on producing cheap but good clothing for its consumers. The corporate statement of Fast retailing is “Changing Clothes. Changing conventional wisdom. Change the world”. This theme outlines the company’s ideology to bring about a change in dressing style and also the world. This is also reflected in Uniqlo’s operations. Uniqlo’s clothes recycling initiative has helped to provide clothing to millions of needy people around the world.
Uniqlo Mission Statement
Uniqlo Mission statement says “We provide high quality, trendy and basic casual wear at the lowest prices – a casual wear that anybody can wear whenever and wherever.”
The company also supports sustainability and has launched a Sustainability Uniqlo Mission Statement as “Unlocking the Power of Clothing”. The company strongly believes in making the world better and is leaving no stone unturned to achieve this objective. They want to strengthen people, community, and the planet.
The few major components as highlighted by the Uniqlo Mission Statement are:
Low cost, comfortable clothing: Uniqlo, makes not just fashionable clothes that are extremely comfortable but are also low in cost. Uniqlo achieves this through mass production and by linking production and marketing directly to supply the cheapest products. Uniqlo is known to provide global standard customer services and is also committed to providing a global standard environment to its employees.
Ecological balance: The company makes it clear to the world that their clothing brand understands its responsibility towards mother nature and believes strongly in contributing towards ecological balance. So, this Japanese clothing brand not only focuses on trendy and comfy clothing, but also on making the planet greener.
Healthy work conditions: Following its sustainability mission, the company ensures that its production process is in harmony with nature and reduces the pressure on the environment. The company also enhances the work efficiency and human potential of its workers by providing healthy working conditions where people work with self-motivation. It also protects human rights.
Bring positive change: The brand believes that it has the power to bring positive change to the world. It aims to achieve this by working towards using environment-friendly and recycled materials and reducing the emission of greenhouse gases from its production line. Hence, the brand ensures to produce eco-friendly clothing, that is also safe for the planet and healthy for humans. The brand offers a cordial atmosphere to employees where they can progress.
Uniqlo vision statement
Uniqlo’s vision statement is “To become the number 1 clothes retailer in the world.” At the same time, Uniqlo promises to work towards a better, more sustainable society.
The team of Uniqlo believes that they can achieve their goal by providing high-standard customer experiences. Uniqlo’s business strategy is to keep the customers on their topmost priority, be it at stores, or management level, or when it comes to products and services. That being said, the company also sees itself as a company that gives back to the community.
The brand vision includes the following elements:
Leading retail clothing brand: Uniqlo has achieved stupendous success and has become the fourth-largest apparel store in the world, giving tough competition to several popular retail clothing brands. The company follows a customer-centric approach and has a streamlined process from production to distribution.
Committed to customers: The brand designs user-friendly and comfortable clothes that last. Uniqlo ensures that customers enjoy wearing their clothes and feel comfortable with them.
Affordable clothes: Uniqlo is not only focused on making and selling the best and durable clothes, but it also aims to provide affordable clothes to people. This has played a key role in Uniqlo’s popularity and demand worldwide.
Innovative ideas: Uniqlo is continuously not only making new designs but is also inventing new and innovative fabrics to meet the needs of the consumers. Thus, innovation is one of the most essential aspects of Uniqlo.
Uniqlo’s Core Values
A company needs to have certain core values that help in realizing its mission and vision successfully. Uniqlo too has its core values based on which the company drafts its policies and takes decisions.
Some key aspects of Uniqlo worth mentioning are providing happiness through clothing spreading environmental awareness, making the society harmonious, promoting diversity, adopting innovation, and strengthening communities.
Uniqlo’s core values include the following:
It aims to put its consumers first, be it quality, cost, or buying experience.
It is known to embrace challenges and innovation.
It supports its employees in fostering corporate and personal growth.
It is known to instill ethical standards in the business.
Pursue excellence and aim for the highest possible level of achievement.
Uniqlo’s Headquarters: Yamaguchi, Yamaguchi, Japan
