Fast Retailing Co Ltd - apparel and textile industry company news 
JAPAN: Uniqlo same-store sales fell in April
2 May 2013
Uniqlo saw sales in its Japanese stores fall during April, as unseasonably cool weather impacted sales.
HONG KONG: Luen Thai completes $55m Ocean Sky buy
30 April 2013
Hong Kong listed Luen Thai Holdings, one of the world's leading apparel manufacturing and supply chain services providers, has completed its US$55m acquisition of Singapore-based Ocean Sky Group.
JAPAN: Fast Retailing raises forecasts on H1 growth
11 April 2013
Fast Retailing, the owner of Japanese casual clothing brand Uniqlo, has lifted its profit and sales forecasts for the current financial year after reporting double-digit gains in the first half.
JAPAN: March Uniqlo sales up on good weather
3 April 2013
Fast Retailing has attributed sales gains in its Japanese Uniqlo stores during March to consistently warm weather.
US: Gap coy on Fast Retailing takeover talk
18 February 2013
Specialty clothing retailer Gap Inc has remained coy on reports Japanese retail giant Fast Retailing has expressed interest in buying the company.
INDONESIA: Uniqlo plans first store
13 February 2013
Japanese casual clothing brand Uniqlo has revealed plans to open its first store in Indonesia this year.
Outlook 2013: Apparel industry opportunities
4 February 2013
Opportunities the apparel industry should focus on this year include developing strategic relationships to improve flexibility across the supply chain; a focus on adding value through design, innovation and branding to protect margins; and the use of technology to integrate the multichannel experience.
Outlook 2013: Apparel industry challenges
4 February 2013
Uncertainty is perhaps the biggest challenge facing the apparel industry in 2013. The economic situation in Europe and the US, a combination of rising production costs and flat prices, the pressure to improve working conditions, a lack of new production centres and low volume growth in fashion all add up to a worrying year.
The Flanarant: Compliance campaigns set to take a new direction
1 February 2013
Two campaigns carried out over the past two years by two groups of activists have achieved very different results. Whereas Greenpeace has successfully corralled major brands and retailers into its Detox programme, the Bangladesh Fire and Building Safety Agreement (BFBSA) campaign has struggled to make a mark. Mike Flanagan looks at what the Bangladesh factory fire row tells us about the future of compliance.
HONG KONG: Fast Retailing coy on Hong Kong listing
24 January 2013
Japanese retailer Fast Retailing has remained coy on reports its casual clothing brand Uniqlo is looking to list its shares on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange for the first time this year.
US: Limited Brands makes toxic-free fashion pledge
22 January 2013
Apparel company Limited Brands, owner of lingerie brands Victoria's Secret and La Senza, has become the 14th major business to pledge to eliminate all releases of hazardous chemicals throughout its supply chain and across all products by 2020.
US: Uniqlo strengthens US team with COO appointment
21 January 2013
Japanese casual clothing retailer Uniqlo has appointed former Forever 21 executive vice president Lawrence Meyer as chief operating officer of its US division.
ITALY: Benetton commits to toxic-free fashion
17 January 2013
Italian fashion brand Benetton is to eliminate hazardous chemicals from its entire global supply chain and products by 2020.
just-style's most read stories this week...
11 January 2013
The most read stories on just-style this week include Luen Thai acquiring Ocean Sky's apparel operations, Russell Brands cutting 190 jobs, and Fast Retailing revealing it will eliminate hazardous chemicals from its global supply chain by 2020.
JAPAN: Fast Retailing lifts forecast on Q1 Uniqlo gains
10 January 2013
The Fast Retailing Group expects to book record sales and profits in its current financial year after reporting "considerable gains" across its business during the first quarter.
JAPAN: Fast Retailing to phase out hazardous chemicals
9 January 2013
Fast Retailing Co, operator of the Uniqlo casual clothing chain and Asia's biggest global fashion brand, is to eliminate hazardous chemicals from its entire global supply chain and products by 2020.
SINGAPORE: Luen Thai to buy Ocean Sky apparel ops for $55m
8 January 2013
Singapore-based apparel company Ocean Sky is set to be acquired by Luen Thai Holdings for US$55m.
JAPAN: Fast Retailing's G.U. to reduce reliance on Chinese sourcing
4 January 2013
Fast Retailing's low priced clothing retailer G.U. plans to reduce the proportion of product it sources from China.
2012: A year in review - Retail winners and losers
14 December 2012
Faced with continuing challenging trading conditions in 2012, retailers responded with a number of different strategies to try to grow their businesses. International expansion, new and larger format stores, revamped product lines and sustainability initiatives were the chosen route for some, while others were forced to lay off workers to cut costs.
JAPAN: Uniqlo same-store sales up 13.7% in November
4 December 2012
Strong sales of winter clothing helped casual clothing retailer Uniqlo to book a 13.7% increase in Japanese same-store sales during November.
US: Fast Retailing to buy majority stake in J Brand
30 November 2012
Fast Retailing, which operates the Uniqlo brand, is to acquire a majority stake in fashion firm J Brand as it looks to strengthen its position in the US.
JAPAN: Uniqlo and Theory launch jacket collection
14 November 2012
Fast Retailing's Uniqlo and Theory brands have teamed up to design and manufacture a collection of down jackets and vests for men and women.
JAPAN: Uniqlo blames warm weather for October sales drop
2 November 2012
Japanese casual clothing retailer Uniqlo has today (2 November) blamed a fall in October same-store sales on persistently warm weather, which stifled demand for autumn and winter garments.
JAPAN: Fast Retailing expects sales to break JPY1trn barrier in 2013
11 October 2012
Fast Retailing, which operates the Uniqlo brand, has said it expects sales to top JPY1trn in 2013 as it continues to grow aggressively outside of its Japanese home market.
JAPAN: Fast Retailing to open first multi-brand store
9 October 2012
Japanese retailer Fast Retailing has revealed it will open its first multi-brand department store in Tokyo next month.
JAPAN: Uniqlo same-store sales down 2.4% in September
2 October 2012
A slow start to the autumn and winter season pushed Japanese casual clothing retailer Uniqlo to a 2.4% fall in September same-store sales.
CHINA: Fast Retailing to push ahead with Chinese expansion
27 September 2012
Japanese retailer Fast Retailing has no intention of slowing the expansion of its Uniqlo casual clothing brand in China, despite anti-Japanese demonstrations last week.
CHINA: Uniqlo stores shuttered amid anti-Japan protests
19 September 2012
Japanese retail giant Fast Retailing Co has shuttered nearly one-third of its Uniqlo casual clothing stores in China following anti-Japan demonstrations in the wake of a diplomatic dispute between Asia's two biggest economies over a group of islands in the East China Sea.
AUSTRALIA: Fast Retailing to open first Uniqlo store in 2013
18 September 2012
Fast Retailing plans to enter Australia through its Uniqlo brand by the end of August next year.
US: Uniqlo to launch tennis apparel range in US
23 August 2012
Japanese retailer Uniqlo plans to launch its latest tennis apparel collection at the end of the month, which will be modelled by tennis player and brand ambassador Novak Djokovic.
