Uniqlo eyes 10 more stores this year

MANILA, Philippines - The local unit of Japan’s Fast Retailing Co., Ltd. is opening 10 Uniqlo stores this year as it aims to grow the retail brand here.

“I’m trying to reach 10 (new stores) this year,” Fast Retailing Philippines, Inc. managing director Katsumi Kubota told reporters at the sidelines of the launch of the brand’s Spring or Summer 2013 collection in Taguig City.

Kubota said the firm is planning to open four stores in the first-half of the year, one of which will be located in the SM Aura Mall in Taguig City.

The firm will also be opening stores in SM Fairview in Quezon City and in SM Pampanga, which will be the brand’s first provincial outlet.

Kubota said the firm has chosen Pampanga as the first location outside of Metro Manila citing strong buying power of individuals there.

“We are seeing the purchasing power of the people. The mall is crowded...but nobody knows us there so we really need to have good communication and marketing,” he said.

For the second half of the year, he said the firm is preparing to open more than five stores.

He declined to identify the specific locations of the other stores but said the firm is looking at locations within and outside of Metro Manila.

The firm is expanding its presence in the country given the success of its stores at the SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City and SM North Edsa in Quezon City, which both opened last year.

The opening of 10 stores this year is on track with the firm’s goal of having a total of 50 Uniqlo stores in the country by end-2015.