Uniqlo wants more fashion

High street retailer Uniqlo wants to implement more fashion product in its offer of affordable clothing. The group is aiming to appeal to a younger consumer by following the fast-fashion example set by companies such as Zara and H&M, who dominate the high street in its response to fashion and trends.

The new product will be crated at the Japanese retailer's New York design studio, which was set up last year to create more Europe-friendly product. Uniqlo's UK managing director Masayuki Nagatake said: "We're not a fast-fashion business, but there is an opportunity to offer that type of product, as long as we don' compromise our core values of quality and value for money."

Uniqlo's parent company Fast Retailing is also understood to be looking for a retail acquisition or partnership in the UK , similar to its acquisition last year of French retailer Comptoir des Cotonniers, which opened on South Molton Street in London last month. Nagatake said" "Having a partner would give us benefits of shared operations, retail expertise and sourcing." He further added that the seven-strong chin was considering opening a 20,000sq ft flagship store in London .