Highlights:
- Uniqlo plans to start small businesses in India
- Uniqlo counts India as its best future market
According to three people familiar with the development, Uniqlo plans to open the majority of its upcoming stores in India in a smaller format of 10,000-15,000 sq ft – compared to most of its current store sizes of 20,000-35,000 sq ft – and the world’s third largest fashion brand has reduced the size of a large store in New Delhi.
Uniqlo has reduced the size of its store in Dwarka’s Vegas Mall by nearly half, to approximately 10,500 square feet, and from two floors to just one.
Uniqlo plans to open upcoming stores in the range of 10,000-15,000 sq ft
The goal is to provide Uniqlo and its LifeWear offerings to our customers remains strong and we will keep exploring appropriate opportunities to expand Uniqlo’s footprint further. Uniqlo plans to open most of its upcoming stores in the range of 10,000-15,000 sq ft barring some flagship stores.
Harminder Sahni, founder of retail consultancy firm Wazir Advisors, said Uniqlo’s plans could also be prompted by an uptick in online sales that generally got a boost during the pandemic.
Uniqlo is among a host of global retailers including Gap, Forever 21 and Aeropostale, among various other brands, to opt for smaller outlets after initially opening larger stores in India amid unjustifiable sales to their sizes.
Counts India as its best future market
Next, Uniqlo is planning to open an outlet in Chandigarh and is also scouting for space in Mumbai, according to various mall executives. Uniqlo counts India as its best future market where the company is competing with rivals including Spain’s Zara and Stockholm-based H&M.
