Uniqlo

Japan’s Fast Retailing Co. is looking to expand its footprint more aggressively in North America.

Uniqlo is set to open its third location in Canada.   The Japanese retail giant will open a two-level, 20,630-sq. ft. store at Metropolis at Metrotown, Burnaby, this fall. It will be Uniqlo’s first location in British Columbia, with the retailer’s other two Canadian stores in Toronto.   

Uniqlo has enlisted musician and music producer Pharrell Williams as a collaborator and spokesperson for the UT 2014 spring-summer collection. Launched in 2003, Uniqlo’s UT T-shirt brand is getting a fresh start this year, as “The New Model T,” a collection produced by its creative director and street fashion icon Nigo.

Japanese apparel retailer Fast Retailing remains deliberate in its approach to growth of its Uniqlo brand in the U.S. with plans for five more stores by mid-year.

There are currently 1,300 Uniqlo locations worldwide in 13 countries, but only 17 stores in the U.S. The five new stores the company is adding this spring and summer will be located in King of Prussia, Pa., Stamford, Conn., and Daly City, Concord, and Milpitas, Calif. The company’s other existing stores are clustered in the Northeast with and northern California.

Fast Retailing’s Uniqlo USA division named a new CEO with a familiar name to lead what is expected to be an accelerated growth plan.

Uniqlo elevated existing COO Lawrence Meyer to the role of CEO to lead is 17 unit U.S. operation roughly one year after he joined the company. In his new role, Meyer will oversee the day-to-day operations of the Uniqlo brand and be responsible for the ongoing development of the company retail footprint in the U.S.

New York -- Uniqlo will be the exclusive, multi-year, corporate sponsor of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) Museum’s Friday night free admission program, which provides free access to the public to the Museum and all exhibitions from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., every Friday, throughout the year.
 
“Uniqlo Free Friday Nights” will launch on May 3. That evening, the first 1,000 visitors will receive a special Uniqlo tote bag. Also in May, the Museum will begin extending its public schedule to seven days per week.

New York -- Uniqlo, a division of Japan's Fast Retailing Co., will open its second U.S. mall location, at Palisades Center in West Nyack, N.Y., on March 15.
 
The 24,000-sq.-ft. store will showcase Uniqlo's complete offering of products for men and women, as well as its spring kids collection.