Uniqlo Applies For Single Brand Retail License

Japan’s fashion brand UNIQLO has applied to the government for single brand retail business, completing the triumvirate of global fast fashion icons in India along with Spain’s Zara and Sweden’s Hennes & Mauritz (H&M).

Fast Retailing Co.Tokyo-listed $17 billion parent company, has filed for the single brand licence of UNIQLO with the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion.

Several people familiar with UNIQLO’s plans said the company would have a fully-owned subsidiary in India, and that means UNIQLO has to locally source 30% of the products to be sold in India. However, it is unclear how much UNIQLO is seeking to invest in India.

Fast Retailing in Tokyo spokesperson said “Fast Retailing believes India is a market with great potential, and can confirm that the company has taken the first step towards a later introduction of UNIQLO to customers in India. At the moment, we are awaiting word from the government, and we will be able to discuss potential future steps at a later date”.

UNIQLO has already been scouting for space in India for months and prominent malls have been keen to accommodate the Japanese brand in their malls after Zara and H&M brought them the highest footfalls and revenues.