Uniqlo parent expands automated-warehouse network into China

Fast Retailing eyes quicker, cheaper deliveries to keep pace with e-commerce boom

20220110N Uniqlo

Uniqlo is interested in synergies between e-commerce and its physical operations, such as through shipping online orders out of brick-and-mortar stocks. © Reuters

KEIICHI FURUKAWA, Nikkei staff writer

TOKYO -- Uniqlo operator Fast Retailing will bring an automated warehouse online in China by the end of August as part of a 100 billion yen ($865 million) global investment spree to better tap a growing e-commerce sector.

The new Shanghai-area facility will serve as a distribution hub for major coastal cities in China. Fast Retailing merged retail and online inventories in the country in 2019, meaning that online orders can now be shipped from or picked up at a physical store. The automated warehouse will help fulfill online orders even more quickly.

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