Fast Retailing

Fast Retailing Co., Ltd. (株式会社ファーストリテイリング, Kabushiki Kaisha Fāsuto Riteiringu) is a public Japanese multinational retail holding company.

Fast Retailing Co., Ltd.
Native name
株式会社ファーストリテイリング
TypePublic
TYO: 9983
SEHK: 6288
TOPIX Large 70 Component
IndustryRetail
Founded
  • 1963 as Ogori Shoji Co., Ltd. (Ube, Yamaguchi, Japan)
  • 1991 as Fast Retailing Co., Ltd. (name change)
FounderTadashi Yanai
Headquarters
Yamaguchi, Yamaguchi
,
Japan
Area served
Worldwide
Key people

Shimpei Otani (CTO)
Makoto Hoketsu (CIO)
ProductsClothing, accessories
Revenue ¥2,130 billion (FY2018)[1]
¥236 billion (FY2018)[1]
¥1,050 billion (FY2018)[1]
Total assets ¥1,953 billion (FY2018)[1]
Number of employees
52,839 (2018)[2]
Subsidiaries
Websitewww.fastretailing.com/eng

In addition to its primary subsidiary Uniqlo, it owns several other brands, including J Brand, Comptoir des Cotonniers, GU, Princesse Tam-Tam, and Theory.

History

The company was founded as Ogōri Shōji Co., Ltd. in 1963 by Tadashi Yanai.

In 1984, the company, which ran a menswear store in Ube, Yamaguchi, opened a new casual-wear store named Unique Clothing Warehouse in Hiroshima City; this was the forebear of Uniqlo.[3]

In September 1991, Ogori Shoji changed its name to Fast Retailing Co., Ltd., and was listed on the Hiroshima Stock Exchange in July 1994.[3]

In February 1999, it was listed on the first section (large companies) of the Tokyo Stock Exchange.[3]

The company also owns the American brand Theory; Fast Retailing acquired "an equity stake in Link Theory Holdings Co Ltd, the marketer of the Theory and Helmut Lang apparel brands, in 2004".[4] It acquired the rest of the company in 2009.

In 2007, it unsuccessfully offered a bid of US$900 million for Barneys New York department store to the Jones Apparel Group.

In 2012, the company purchased an 80% stake of premium denim company J Brand for US$290 million and US$10 million in advisory legal fees.[5]

In 2022, amid Russian invasion of Ukraine, the company refused to stop operating in Russia, though it donated $10 million to combat the humanitarian emergency in Ukraine provoked by Russia attack.[6]

References
  1. "Fast Retailing Results for Fiscal 2018 and Estimates for Fiscal 2019 (4,390KB)" (PDF). Fast Retailing Co., Ltd. Retrieved November 28, 2018.
  2. "Overview | FAST RETAILING CO., LTD". Fast Retailing Co., Ltd. Retrieved November 28, 2018.
  3. Uniqlo Syndrome. Toyo Keizai Shinpo Sha. ISBN 4-492-76191-8 Tenkai Japan. ASIN: B004PYDPOK.
  4. "Apparel and textile industry factsheets".
  5. Li, Shan. "Fast Retailing buys majority stake in L.A. denim line J Brand". LA Times.
  6. "UNIQLO's parent company donates $10 mln, 200,000 clothes items to refugees from Ukraine". Interfax-Ukraine. Retrieved 2022-03-07.
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