is a public Japanese multinational

retail Retail is the sale of goods and services to consumers, in contrast to wholesaling, which is sale to business or institutional customers. A retailer purchases goods in large quantities from manufacturers, directly or through a wholesaler, and ...

holding company A holding company is a company whose primary business is holding a controlling interest in the securities of other companies. A holding company usually does not produce goods or services itself. Its purpose is to own shares of other companies ...

. In addition to its primary subsidiary Uniqlo, it owns several other brands, including

J Brand J Brand is an American denim clothing company founded in 2005 in Los Angeles, California. Origins J Brand was co-founded by Jeff Rudes in 2004. In 2005, J Brand officially launched at the Ron Herman Melrose Denim Bar in Los Angeles, California ...

, Comptoir des Cotonniers, GU, Princesse Tam-Tam, and

Theory A theory is a rational type of abstract thinking about a phenomenon, or the results of such thinking. The process of contemplative and rational thinking is often associated with such processes as observational study or research. Theories may be ...

History

The company was founded as Men's Shop Ogori Shoji in 1949, and formally incorporated as Ogōri Shōji Co., Ltd. in 1963 by Hitoshi Yanai. In 1984, the company, which ran a menswear store in

Ube, Yamaguchi is a city located in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan on the Seto Inland Sea. As of October 2016, the city has an estimated population of 168,398 and a population density of 590 persons per km2. The total area is . History as a modern municipal ...

, opened a new casual-wear store named Unique Clothing Warehouse in Hiroshima City; this was the forebear of Uniqlo. In September 1991, Ogori Shoji changed its name to Fast Retailing Co., Ltd., and was listed on the Hiroshima Stock Exchange in July 1994.''Uniqlo Syndrome''. Toyo Keizai Shinpo Sha. Tenkai Japan. ASIN: B004PYDPOK. In February 1999, it was listed on the first section (large companies) of the

Tokyo Stock Exchange The , abbreviated as Tosho () or TSE/TYO, is a stock exchange located in Tokyo, Japan. It is the third largest stock exchange in the world by aggregate market capitalization of its listed companies, and the largest in Asia. It had 2,292 listed ...

. The company also owns the American brand

; Fast Retailing acquired "an equity stake in Link Theory Holdings Co Ltd, the marketer of the

and Helmut Lang apparel brands, in 2004". It acquired the rest of the company in 2009. In 2007, it unsuccessfully offered a bid of US$900 million for

Barneys New York Barneys New York Inc. is an American luxury brand founded in New York City in 1923. It has introduced major designers including Armani, Azzedine Alaïa, Comme des Garçons, Christian Louboutin, and Ermenegildo Zegna to the US market. Barneys ...

department store A department store is a retail establishment offering a wide range of consumer goods in different areas of the store, each area ("department") specializing in a product category. In modern major cities, the department store made a dramatic app ...

to the Jones Apparel Group. In 2012, the company purchased an 80% stake of premium denim company

for US$290 million and US$10 million in advisory legal fees.

Senior leadership

Chairman

# Hitoshi Yanai (1963–1984) # Tadashi Yanai (1984–present)

CEO

# Hitoshi Yanai (1963–1984) # Tadashi Yanai (1984–present)

President

# Hitoshi Yanai (1963–1984) # Tadashi Yanai (1984–2002) # Genichi Tamatsuka (2002–2005) # Tadashi Yanai (2005–present); second term

References

External links

English page

Japanese page
{{Authority control Clothing retailers of Japan Companies based in Yamaguchi Prefecture Retail companies established in 1963 Holding companies of Japan Companies listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Companies listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange Japanese companies established in 1963 Holding companies established in 1963