H&M, Uniqlo to Expand Globally

H&M Hennes & Mauritz (Stockholm) and Fast Retailing Co. Ltd. (Yamaguchi, Japan), owner of Uniqlo, have both announced expansion plans into new markets.

H&M has signed to open its first flagship in South Africa by 2015. H&M ceo Karl-Johan Persson said the brand sees “great potential for further expansion in this region.”

Uniqlo will open next spring in Berlin. The store, in the Tauentzienstrasse shopping district, will be the retailer’s first in Germany. It currently has European stores in the U.K., France and Russia. 

“Uniqlo is a giant globally, but we are still a challenger brand in Europe,” said Uniqlo Europe ceo Berndt Hauptkorn. “We have been focusing our presence in Paris, London and Moscow. The German-speaking market will offer great opportunities for Uniqlo, as well as other major markets and cities we are considering across Europe including Barcelona and Milan.”