Fast-fashion retailer Uniqlo (Tokyo) will open its first Canadian stores, both in Toronto, in late 2016. According to Fortune, Uniqlo’s international strategy is aimed to rely more on younger markets and less on its aging Japanese base. With the launch, Canada will become the company’s 18th market.
While focusing most of its growth on China, Uniqlo has also opened 39 stores in the U.S. since 2006. Larry Meyer, ceo of Uniqlo USA and Canada, told Fortune that expansion into Canada will be done “surgically,” starting with the Toronto stores, followed by the fashion-savvy city of Vancouver. For its Toronto launch, Uniqlo says it chose “high-quality” malls where luxury department store Nordstrom is also preparing to open stores.