As return-to-office mandates shift how workers structure their days and lives, fashion retailer Uniqlo thinks it stands to get a boost from young women in search of versatility.
Young women are looking for items they can wear “at the office or on a night out,” Alessandro Dudech, Uniqlo’s U.K. chief operating officer, told the news agency PA. Dudech said that Gen Z women are contributing towards a significant chunk of the Japanese company’s sales. According to Dudech, women under 29 made up 35% of the Uniqlo’s sales in 2023, a substantial rise from the 16% the group accounted for just 4 years prior. Moreover, last year was the first time women’s sales surpassed that of men’s, he added.
Uniqlo may also have TikTok to thank for its success. Some of its products, including its wide-leg trousers and its tank tops with a built-in bra, have gone viral, Dudech told the publication.
While the company may be “connecting more with younger customers,” Dudech said it isn’t necessarily focusing on setting online trends. Rather, he said Uniqlo is meeting the changing habits of Gen Z shoppers. Shoppers are “looking for versatile pieces,” he added.
Uniqlo, born in 1984, is owned by parent company Fast Retailing. The retailer has over 1,000 stores across Asia, according to Fast Retailing’s website. In early April, Uniqlo said it planned to open 11 new stores in the U.S., the Wall Street Journal first reported. The company plans to have a 200-store footprint in North America by 2027.