When thinking of clothing brands that provide physical comfort and peace of mind to wearers through attractive, quality products at affordable prices suitable for every occasion, the Japanese brand Uniqlo, found in Thailand’s major shopping malls, inevitably comes to mind.
Uniqlo has been a companion to many Asians for years, but in the West, it took nearly 20 years to become a daily wardrobe staple. The brand first opened 21 stores in the UK in 2001 and then three outlets in New Jersey suburbs, USA, in 2005, but ultimately faced failures that led to some store closures.
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Tadashi Yanai, Uniqlo’s founder, admitted that at the time, the brand had not focused on marketing tailored to Western consumers. This led to trial and error before gradually building the foundation for success. Today, Uniqlo operates more than 2,500 stores worldwide, including 106 in the highly competitive US fashion market.
Despite fierce competition, this growth contributed to Fast Retailing, Uniqlo’s parent company, achieving a net profit of about 2.8 billion USD for fiscal year 2025, with North American business profits rising 35.1%. Uniqlo is now the world’s third largest apparel manufacturer and retailer, behind only H&M and Inditex (owner of Zara).
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This success led Fast Retailing’s chairman to describe the US market as “the fastest growing market in the coming years.” The company’s annual report stated, “Our ultimate goal is to become the world’s number one most popular brand among customers.”
Uniqlo’s success is also reflected in its evolving image among Western consumers, especially its appearances in pop culture. For example, during Kendrick Lamar’s 2025 Super Bowl Halftime Show, dancers wore Uniqlo U AIRism Cotton Oversized items, transforming Uniqlo’s image from a beige, logo-free casual brand seen as boring to a stylish fashion brand that can be mixed into trendy outfits, proving its designs remain timeless.
In 2023, Latin rapper Bad Bunny wore a Uniqlo 1990 T-shirt with Levi’s 501 jeans. His stylist, Storm Pablo, told Vogue that Bad Bunny personally chose the outfit, wanting a casual and relaxed look this time.
Recently, Uniqlo appointed Oscar-winning actress Cate Blanchett and former world number one tennis player Roger Federer as Global Ambassadors.
These phenomena demonstrate that Uniqlo’s journey has not been easy. So what has enabled Uniqlo to successfully break into the US market over more than 20 years? This article explores that question.