TOKYO -- Uniqlo, a subsidiary of Fast Retailing, is about to transform itself from a clothing store into "social infrastructure." People around the world are finding their sense of values changing during the novel coronavirus pandemic, and support for the corporate attitude of single-mindedly pursuing growth is crumbling. As the world moves toward sustainability, Uniqlo wants to remake itself as a "more social presence," in the words of Chairman and President Tadashi Yanai.
"I didn't realize Uniqlo was like this," said a woman shopping at the Uniqlo store in Tokyo's Harajuku neighborhood on Dec. 2 during an event for Uniqlo's 36th anniversary. Fresh flowers and books were on sale in one corner of the store.
