Uniqlo welcomes 4,000 customers on opening day

At 4:30 a.m. last Friday, Victor Velasco stood by the entrance at SM Mall of Asia. The 28-year-old had come all the way from Cabuyao, Laguna, to anticipate the opening of the first flagship store of Uniqlo.

By 10 a.m., when MOA opened its doors, there were about a thousand people waiting behind Velasco, who would unknowingly take part in the ribbon cutting with Uniqlo and SM chiefs before the store opened to the public.

“It’s a good number,” chief operating officer of Fast Retailing Philippines Inc. Katsumi Kubota notes of the thousand-strong line at mall opening, “but it’s not extraordinarily different.”

“In any country we go to, we try to communicate what Uniqlo is, especially in terms of the quality, store itself and service,” Kubota explains. “I think Filipino customers understand what we are about. The number of people in line is a sign of good communication.”

Geraldine Sia, GM of Fast Retailing Philippines; Hans Sy, president of SM Prime Holdings Inc.; Naoki Otoma, group executive vice president, Fast Retailing Co. Ltd. and managing director, Uniqlo Asia and Japan; Pasay City Mayor Antonino Calixto; Toshinao Urabe, Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines; Teresita Sy-Coson, vice chairman of SM Investment Corp.; Katsumi Kubota, COO, Fast Retailing Philippines Inc., and Victor Velasco, the very first Uniqlo customer who was in line, about to cut the tape to formally open the very first Uniqlo store in the Philippines at the SM Mall of Asia

According to Uniqlo’s records, the store served around 4,000 customers who flocked to the flagship for its opening on Friday. What sold best were women’s colored skinny jeans, dry pique polo and regular-fit straight colored jeans.

Opening-Day Reality

Mid-afternoon on that Friday, the queue continued to snake around the mall atrium, a never-ending line of shoppers patiently waiting for their chance at opening weekend introductory prices. Inside, the store was packed with people trying on clothes by the aisle.

A child, with a guardian on the periphery rifling through a stack of shirts, gazed at a disembodied mannequin perched above the store’s racks. A teenager modeled hats in front of the mirror, trying to select the most flattering style. A middle-aged heavyset lady struggled to fit a blouse two sizes too small, while a couple of young women efficiently hefted piles of sale items from one side to search under a mound of Laura Ashley printed tops for an appropriate size.

In key sections, a mountain of apparel underneath a sign that looked as though it were lit from within was inscribed with the words “special introductory price.”

A row of colored denim for women, and vertical shelves lined with pique polos for men were well organized. Attendants in white Uniqlo shirts welcomed customers with a cheery greeting, while others manned the line for the cashier, which meandered around the store, with signs that helpfully announced, “Line ends here.”

Known for its denim line, which many agree is comparable to designer denim labels, as well as its comfortable yet utilitarian office wear, Uniqlo has branded itself a store “made for all.”

“We are slightly trendy but still basic,” Kubota clarifies. “We do not have narrow targets. It’s 16 to 60, male and female. That’s everyone.”

Pricing The Market

Opening weekend promo prices included P590 jeans

Uniqlo promises to maintain the same prices here as it does in stores abroad. The 10-dollar jean, it seems, is not a myth.

“One of the characteristics of our business is we want to do the same business globally, which we call ‘Global One,’” he says. “What we do in New York, we do in Manila.”

“We have only one price all over the world. But according to the size of the business, a small business may cost more. So we may have to do some deflections, but we will try to manage the same level of price here.”

Though opening weekend has concluded, Kubota notes that there are more promos to come for customers who refused to brave the lines. “We are preparing a series of attractive prices for everyone after the opening,” he assures the STAR.

The Future of Uniqlo

It was announced in this paper that the company intends to expand rapidly within the Philippines. Kubota confirmed that, saying, “Yes, we are targeting 50 stores in three years.”

Though Manila is packed with malls, it’s hard to imagine that many stores finding a home within their target schedule.

“Actually, Japan is a small country but we are operating more than 800 stores already,” he says, “so with the size of the Philippines and its population, there’s potential here.”

“Is there a future where you imagine Uniqlo will be like Starbucks? Every corner, a Uniqlo?” I ask.

Kubota laughs. “Actually, the founder of Starbucks and the founder of Uniqlo are very close friends. We studied Starbucks a lot, and tried to learn from what they have done. They are a good example for us.”