Fast Retailing Group – Uniqlo International BrandNguyen Thi Minh Xuan (Spencer) – MGB15G73FAST RETAILING GROUP – UNIQLO INTERNATIONAL BRANDFast Retailing won the fiscal 2014 Retailer of the Year Award from the World Retail Congress for exceptional, world-class performance, becoming Asia’s biggest clothing retailer with ambitious goals to make the brand the leader in retail worldwide. Originally, with the concept of “unique cloth”, UNIQLO brand of company is popular as LifeWear brand, which means everyday clothes for a better life, high-quality, fashionable, affordable and comfortable.OVERVIEWSince 1984, the first UNIQLO was introduced as a Japanese casual wear designer, manufacturer and retailer, focusing on mass-producing affordable basics in dozens of colours with Lifewear concept. Today, UNIQLO is Japan’s No.1 apparel brand. As an SPA (Specialty store retailer of Private label Apparel) controlling the entire clothes-making process from design through manufacture and retail, UNIQLO is able to offer high-quality casualwear at reasonable prices and unique items made from new superior functional materials such as HEATTECH and Ultra Light Down. UNIQLO currently has over 1,400 stores in 16 markets worldwide, with 0.9% of worldwide market share, one of four largest fashion retailers over the world. UNIQLO global is the clear vision of current growth for the Fast Retailing Group. China is a key market, turning UNIQLO as the Asia’s biggest clothing retailer into the world leader in 2020. Revenue in Greater China (Mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan) was ¥200 billion (2014). They opened 374 stores (8/2014) with a strong operating margin of 11.9%, the most by country outside Japan, ranking eighth with 0.6% of market share in China. Especially, an economic slowdown in China is expected to increase UNIQLO’s sales, particularly as shoppers increasingly look for value-for-money when purchasing clothing essentials such as t-shirts and pants.
PORTER’S DIAMOND MODELFactor conditions Human resource: taking advantage of large cheap labor, but low skill in China. They applied compensation stock options for employees as a means of recognizing their contribution to Group’s profit.  Building “regional employee” system to attract talented personnel and empower them with “management mindset”.  In production line, 400 staff and textile takumi (skilled artisans) takes responsibility for supervise the quality and training for all employees.Knowledge resource: UNIQLO applies Global One and Zenin Keiei management principles. The former encourages our people to seek the best available global approach to everything they do; the latter encourages every employee to adopt the mindset of a manager
* This blog is from October 2017 to August 2018.
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There is no better day today than when your Chinese friends come to Canada, a country that has so utterly forgotten the importance of your career choices. This year, more than a quarter of those who came from Hongkong and Guangdong countries have moved to Canada to take advantage of the opportunities that Canada enjoys. Those coming to the United States can expect a life of freedom, but for most, only those who are already employed will be taking the leap. This has important implications for business that is more closely intertwined with the American economy, so we are committed to making our work in Canada a true global success.‡ ㅇ I want to thank my Chinese friends who have already come to Canada to work so hard, and who have set their sights on Canada for years. In my opinion, the best experience in Canada is simply the opportunity to work in a different company.‡
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The U.S. has a problem with the notion that, when it comes to American jobs, every Canadian must do the best they can at it. This is a view shared by many Canadians for a number of reasons. Firstly, the U.S. labour market is competitive and so can be expected to improve. Secondly, Canadian workers are highly trained workers. Thirdly, because Chinese are more educated than U.S. workers, they will develop a competitive experience in jobs. For example, U.S. employees are used to working at lower wages than foreigners in most Asian economies. Thirdly, despite all the obstacles China faces, we are able to find many opportunities in our own country of origin that come from being able to work here, even in the U.S.
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