with the proposition. “What wasn’t always clear was that Uniqlo is fundamentally a ‘lifewear’ company, built on fabric innovation, functionality, quality and longevity, not trend-driven fashion,” Cessot said. “That scale and rigour behind the product were not always visible to consumers.” In other words, clothes viewed as good-quality, long-lasting basics in other territories were instead chucked into the same basket as fast fashion in the US. Now, though, a comeback is on. Uniqlo thinks it can close the gap through clearer storytelling, stronger in-store experiences and more consistent delivery across product performance, design and quality. “As customers encounter Uniqlo across more touchpoints and spend more time with the brand, they’re developing a more complete understanding of who we are,” Cessot said. “We want the US customer to understand that Uniqlo exists to make everyday life better through clothing. ‘Lifewear’ is high-quality essentials, thoughtful design, functional innovation and products made to last – all at an accessible price point.” How Uniqlo got it wrong Since its initial incarnation in 1949 as a textile manufacturer in Yamaguchi, Japan, Uniqlo has grown into an apparel brand and retailer that has won over customers across Asia, Europe and Australasia, with Japan and China accounting for 70 per cent of its store count. However, the retailer has struggled to capture the American retail market in the same way as US-native brands like Gap or Spanish-born players such as Mango and Zara. Experts attributed the company’s struggles to several factors, including poor initial store locations, weak brand awareness and an inability to communicate its value proposition clearly to American shoppers. The retailer’s product assortment also failed to align with local consumer preferences. Uniqlo’s initial assortment for the US reflected the products that resonated with its Japanese customer base, rather than what US consumers were seeking. Sizes and fits designed with Asian markets in mind led to widespread issues that alienated American shoppers. Meanwhile, the retailer’s minimalist, functional approach to fashion, while successful in countries such as Japan and China, came across as too “basic” and uninteresting to many US consumers seeking trend-driven products. This led Uniqlo to close some stores and scale back its US expansion efforts – at least for a time. Today, though, its rebooted strategy includes a broad mix of designer collaboration collections, a steady stream of pop-culture-themed drops and an ambitious bricks-and-mortar expansion plan. In 2026 alone, Uniqlo plans to open 11 flagship stores across major cities, including New York, San Francisco and Chicago. The expansion forms part of a broader mission to open 200 stores in North America by the end of 2027. Why the Japanese giant is doing things differently Uniqlo now has much stronger name recognition among American consumers than when it first entered the US market in 2005. But, as the retail industry has shown time and again, familiarity alone is not enough to define a brand. Consumers also need a clear understanding of what differentiates a retailer from its competitors. Re-establishing that connection with local shoppers is now a core part of Uniqlo’s strategy. “Many customers didn’t realise how much research and development goes into what we make or that technologies like HeatTech, AIRism and Pufftech are core to who Uniqlo is as a brand, rather than seasonal or trend-driven features,” Cessot explained. “There was also less awareness around the idea of value over time – that our price point reflects durability, versatility and repeat wear, not disposability. “If a brand is seen as ‘just basics’, it’s easier to overlook in a market like the US, where storytelling, differentiation and emotional connection matter enormously. Without that context, Uniqlo could be compared on price or simplicity alone, rather than on purpose and innovation.” Right now, Uniqlo is focused on store openings tailored to US shoppers. “It’s important to clarify that this expansion reflects a mix of store types rather than solely new flagships. In 2026, we opened a flagship in Chicago on Michigan Avenue and will open our fourth US flagship in San Francisco this fall, which will join our existing flagships on Fifth Avenue and SoHo in New York City. The remainder of our openings this year are not flagship stores, but strategically located stores designed to bring the Uniqlo experience closer to customers in key markets.” Across all store formats, physical retail locations will play an essential role in introducing a new collection called Lifewear. Cessot describes it as fashion designed to make customers’ lives better through “high-quality, everyday clothing with a practical sense of beauty”. Physical retail will also showcase the breadth of Uniqlo’s assortment and reinforce brand understanding. Today’s locations are designed to feel more immersive, locally relevant and experiential than earlier versions of Uniqlo stores in the US. Cessot explained: “We’re putting more emphasis on store size, visibility and layout to allow customers to fully experience the brand and clearly understand the breadth of what Uniqlo offers. “At the same time, we’re evolving toward a more neighbourhood-based store strategy designed to better support everyday customers while reinforcing our ‘lifewear’ philosophy of clothing made for daily life. “We’ve also integrated stores more deeply into their communities. Programs like UTme! [Uniqlo’s T-shirt and tote bag customisation service] are being expanded to bring local businesses, artists and institutions into stores, making each location feel more personal and locally rooted. “Services like Re.Uniqlo Studio further reinforce our commitment to longevity and repair. The goal is to create destinations that feel genuinely made for the customer.” Cessot told Inside Retail that, ultimately, Uniqlo’s ambitious expansion in North America is focused on “purposeful growth” that will balance the number of new openings with the quality of each store. “We are focused on opening the right stores in the right places, while ensuring every location reflects local customer needs and delivers a meaningful, high-quality experience,” he said. Building a brand identity beyond apparel Since joining the company in 2021 as director of digital marketing, Cessot has overseen several noteworthy projects and campaigns. These include the launch of Uniqlo Coffee in March 2025 at the retailer’s Fifth Avenue flagship in New York City, the opening of the first US-based Re.Uniqlo Studio at the SoHo location in 2022 and, more recently, a year-long partnership with the New York Public Library, alongside a multi-year partnership and licensing agreement with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Dodger Stadium. Cessot said these initiatives help translate Uniqlo’s values into tangible, real-world customer experiences. “Initiatives like Re.Uniqlo Studio reinforce our commitment to clothing longevity, while partnerships with institutions like the New York Public Library allow us to engage with culture, education and community in a meaningful way. “Similarly, partnerships like our recently announced team-up with the Los Angeles Dodgers help us connect with consumers at a cultural scale that extends beyond traditional retail. “As our first major sports partnership in the US, the Dodgers collaboration places Uniqlo within an iconic, everyday setting for millions of fans, while aligning us with an organisation that shares our values around excellence and community. This partnership goes beyond signage; we will focus on community-oriented initiatives in Los Angeles that will continue to evolve over time. “Together, these initiatives expand how people experience Uniqlo, not just as a retailer, but as a brand that’s part of everyday life and culture.” Tapping into the power of pop culture In addition to these projects and store openings, another tactic Uniqlo has used to win over US shoppers is collaboration collections. These generally fall into two categories: designer partnerships with figures such as JW Anderson and Cecilie Bahnsen, and pop-culture-focused product launches tied to franchises and intellectual properties, including Labubu, Mofus and Hello Kitty. Cessot explained that these collaborations play an important role in building brand awareness and bringing different creative perspectives into the Uniqlo universe. “We are very intentional about whom we choose to work with, partnering with designers and artists whose values and approach align with our ‘lifewear’ philosophy. “Working with this community of creatives allows us to translate their distinct points of view into designs that are accessible, functional and rooted in everyday wear, while also helping us connect with new and diverse audiences. “UT, our graphic T-shirt collections, make up a key part of that strategy as well. They allow us to engage with niche fandoms, cultural moments and artistic communities across music, art, film, anime and pop culture. From a business perspective, UT often serves as an accessible entry point into the brand, bringing new customers into Uniqlo and encouraging more frequent engagement. Through UT, customers can express personal interests while still engaging with our core ‘lifewear’ offering, reinforcing the idea that we are truly made for all at Uniqlo.” Can Uniqlo truly crack the US retail market? Neil Saunders, managing director at GlobalData, argued that while Uniqlo’s offering of elevated basics, advanced fabric technologies and distinctive fashion collaborations gives the retailer a strong product proposition, its biggest challenge remains market penetration. “Uniqlo does not have all that many stores and is absent from many major retail locations,” he said. “This is why it is opening more stores. This will gradually improve brand recognition and drive sales growth. However, the process is deliberately slow because Uniqlo wants to find the right locations and optimise the experience for each market. “Some of the newer stores, like the one that just opened in Chicago, are excellent in terms of presentation, design and the way they take the customer on a journey. It is a good example of how Uniqlo is focused on optimising the customer experience to ensure stores support the brand and drive sales.” Building on Saunders’ points, retail strategist Christine Russo, principal of Retail Creative and Consulting Agency (RCCA), suggested that slowing sales growth in China is also helping drive Uniqlo’s expansion ambitions in the US. For FY25, ending August 31, Fast Retailing Co, Uniqlo’s parent, reported that sales in the Greater China region declined by roughly 4 per cent year-on-year, with a similar drop recorded in mainland China. “Uniqlo’s massive growth in China has slowed, and the company has taken to sending Japanese managers into the China stores for a giant reset,” Russo said. “And so, they are building on US traction as a large revenue opportunity and also as a global strategy.” Russo attributed Uniqlo’s earlier success in China to a two-pronged strategy focused on mass store openings and efficient store management. She argued that the company’s US growth strategy, in contrast, would need to be more nuanced, and driven not only by store expansion but also by stronger consumer mindshare. “To grow in the US, Uniqlo should add storytelling,” Russo argued. “This is not to say they need a splashy MrBeast-style YouTube approach, as this is not aligned with their core values. But they can tell stories and meet customers where they are in meaningful ways. They have already dedicated a high marketing spend and seen massive returns, with revenue growing by double digits in 2024 and 2025.” Uniqlo’s long-term goals for the North American retail market Long-term, Cessot said Uniqlo’s goal in North America is to “make our customers’ lives better” through good-quality, functional clothing. “We want customers to be able to rely on Uniqlo for quality, value and thoughtful design, and to see us as a brand that consistently delivers,” he said. “Achieving that means continued physical expansion, deeper cultural relevance and an unwavering focus on products that genuinely improve everyday life.” Cessot added that the company’s expansion strategy extends far beyond its current store targets. “This is not a one-off plan that will stop after the brand reaches its current target store number. It is part of a much larger mission to become one of the most credible and well-known players in the global apparel industry.” He also stressed that Uniqlo wants consumers to see the company as more than just a retailer. “We’re also emphasising that Uniqlo is a brand with values. Longevity, sustainability and collaboration are core to how we operate and how we show up for our customers. Whether through programs like Re.Uniqlo, our cultural partnerships, or collaborations with designers and artists, these initiatives help translate our philosophy into tangible experiences. The goal is for consumers to see Uniqlo not only as a place to shop, but as a brand built for everyday life and made for all.” Further reading: Uniqlo set to revamp its Melbourne flagship