Japanese lifewear retail brand Uniqlo on Thursday made its debut in the Indian market with its first store at Ambience Mall, Vasant Kunj here.
Launching in this market for the first time, UNIQLO will offer a new shopping experience to Delhi customers that showcases LifeWear, the company’s commitment to creating perfect clothing that meets the requirements of everyone’s daily lifestyles.
Commenting on the opening of the store, Tadashi Yanai, UNIQLO Founder and Chairman, President & CEO of the Fast Retailing Group, said, “Fast Retailing has long wished to open stores in India in view of the tremendous potential of such a large nation. We began recruiting here at the end of last year, and have been impressed by the exceptional talent, ambition and diligence of the young people we encountered and welcomed aboard.”
He added, “In the years ahead, we aim to enhance lifestyles in India by offering more innovative apparel that draws on the nation’s distinct culture and traditions. We wish to contribute to India’s economic development in the process.”
UNIQLO Ambience Mall Vasant Kunj carries a full line up of LifeWear for men, women, kids and babies. This includes iconic UNIQLO products such as the innovative and functional Ultra-Light Down (ULD) and HEATTECH garments, as well as products featuring premium fabric like denim, cashmere, Extra Fine Merino, and more.
Spread over three floors and with a total retail space of 35,000 square feet, UNIQLO Ambience Mall Vasant Kunj welcomes customers with its stunning three-story high bay window façade. Interior designs vary by floor, moving from soothing elements with natural materials that integrate the Japanese and Indian aesthetic, to the high-energy LED ticker screen and stainless fixtures that convey a contemporary mood.
In addition, the new store presents a large mural on all three walls facing inside the shopping mall that capture the essence of daily life in the capital created by illustrator Dattaraj M. Naik, while local artist Johnson Kshetrimayum has worked with embroidery craftspeople to create an installation using UNIQLO lambswool. Both artworks are under the creative direction of Hanif Kureshi.
When entering the store from the Ground Floor, customers are greeted by a comprehensive introduction to the LifeWear concept with a showcase featuring the latest seasonal styles. Special partnerships are on display throughout the three floors, such as The Kurta Collection, UNIQLO’s first India collaboration with Delhi-based designer Rina Singh. Global collaboration lines include Ines de la Fressange and Hana Tajima, as well as the Uniqlo U collection created by the UNIQLO R&D Centre under Artistic Director Christophe Lemaire.
UNIQLO Ambience Mall Vasant Kunj also carries the UT (UNIQLO T-shirt) line, which transforms T-shirts into canvases of art expressing the individuality and tastes of the wearer. With the UTme! service customers can create personalised T-shirts with their own designs or with a range of UNIQLO stamps, including designs featuring tennis legend and UNIQLO Global Brand Ambassador Roger Federer.
Yanai said: “Launching ourselves in Indian market is a step ahead towards globalisation. We aim to enhance lifestyles in India by creating more innovative apparel that draws on the nation’s distinct culture and traditions. We wish to contribute to India’s economic development in the process.”
He added: “21st century will be the century of India. Fast Retailing has long wished to open stores in India, in view of the tremendous potential of a nation of 1.3 billion people that generates annual GDP growth of 7 percent and has an average age of 27.”
Uniqlo started recruiting in India at the end of last year, he said, and was amazed to see the “exceptional talent, ambition, and diligence of the young people” he had met.
On being asked about his expectation about the business in India, he replied: “My curiosity about India goes beyond just business. India is a diverse market with many languages, ethnicities and history. Our focus will be to educate ourselves about the Indian consumers.”
UNIQLO, established in Japan in 1984 and is present in 23 other countries with 2,200 stores, aims to work with Indian producers and strengthen its sourcing base in India.
As part of UNIQLO’s commitment to India’s community and culture, the store opens under the ‘Together in LifeWear’ campaign that demonstrates how the brand’s simple, high-quality and comfortable daily wear brings Delhiites together no matter where they are from or what they do.
At the same time UNIQLO has also launched the UNIQLO Ambience Mall Good Neighbourhood Guide, highlighting the hidden gems of local neighbourhoods.
To celebrate its market introduction, UNIQLO will offer a series of special promotions including free UTs for the first 500 customers on opening day. From Friday through Sunday a free UNIQLO original tote bag will be given to customers with a minimum purchase of Rs 4,500 while stocks last, and an Rs 200 welcome coupon will be gifted to each person on their first download of the UNIQLO app.
Soon UNIQLO India will introduce two new locations in New Delhi NCR at DLF Avenue, Saket and DLF CyberHub.
