The Business of Fashion
Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.
Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.
The value of Uniqlo owner Fast Retailing reached 10.8 trillion yen ($103 billion) at the end of trading Tuesday, exceeding Zara parent Inditex’s 81.7 billion euro ($99 billion) market capitalisation for the first time, Nikkei Asia reports.
Fast Retailing’s stock has climbed since August, spurred by investor confidence in its focus on the China market, WFH-friendly offering and AI-powered omnichannel technology. China, where Uniqlo operates 791 stores, is currently the brand’s second biggest market after Japan. While 60 percent of Uniqlo’s stores are located in Asia, where retail is recovering a faster pace than countries in the West, only around 20 percent of Zara’s store network is in the continent.
The companies agreed to cap credit-card swipe fees in one of the most significant antitrust settlements ever, following a legal fight that spanned almost two decades.
In an era of austerity on Wall Street, apparel businesses are more likely to be valued on their profits rather than sales, which usually means lower payouts for founders and investors. That is, if they can find a buyer in the first place.
The fast fashion giant occupies a shrinking middle ground between Shein and Zara. New CEO Daniel Ervér can lay out the path forward when the company reports quarterly results this week.
The performance coach and Allbirds’ co-founder discuss the transformative power of togetherness in fostering a culture of excellence.