Uniqlo open London flagship

Uniqlo, the fashionable Japanese high street retailer, is taking Britain by store. With its third store on Oxford Street opening today, the company hosted a glamorous party at its new flagship store on Tuesday. The new Oxford Street flagship boasts 25,000sq ft over three floors. The CEO of Uniqlo parent Fast Retailing told WGSN the company has high hopes for both the new stores and its UK operations as a whole. "We have very high expectations, particularly for the flagship," said Tadashi Yanai. "We're hoping to double our sales in the UK."

Yanai said the first priority was to make sure the London flagship was successful before considering UK expansion.

"We've consistently expressed an interest in acquiring good US companies that can serve as a platform for Uniqlo," said Yanai. He also added that he was very interested in China and India, as well as Russia, although he refused to give details on any specific plans for those markets. Coble, however, did comment on the next planned flagship opening.

"We plan to open our next global flagship in La Défense, Paris, to further develop our image as a global flagship retailer, plus it will be an opportunity for the company to enter a new market and to trade in euros."

The ethos behind Uniqlo is designing and selling clothing that can be worn by anyone, on any day. Rather than dictate a look, Uniqlo provides people everywhere with the piece they need to create their own style. And, as the company aptly states, style comes from within, which is why the Uniqlo logo is nearly invisible, tucked away inside the garment.

This concept, along with an unwavering focus on quality and value, has guided Uniqlo's actions since the establishment of its first store in 1984 Hiroshima, Japan. The brand has grown to over 760 stores worldwide and is household name in Japan.

Image: Uniqlo AW men's photo