How Uniqlo is engaging Gen Z with livestream shopping and in-store marketing

Uniqlo, the Japanese fashion retailer, is turning to new marketing tools as it seeks to build awareness in the U.S. The chain, which is owned by Fast Retailing Co., is experimenting with livestream shopping, new influencer partnerships and in-store demonstrations. Subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, check us out on Spotify and hear us on Stitcher. This is our RSS feed. Tell a friend! “We are not necessarily committing to one particular channel—it depends on what we want to communicate,” said Masahiko Nakasuji, the group officer responsible for all global marketing at Uniqlo, speaking on a recent episode of the Marketer’s Brief podcast. Ad Age events Sign up for events and awards Learn more here Nakasuji noted that Uniqlo has spent recent years testing live commerce in a trial and error format but is “now very confident” that it can use the channel to better engage with customers. Since Uniqlo products have a functionality element to them, promotion via livestream shopping through influencers or others is helpful in communicating how consumers can use the items, Nakasuji said. “Live commerce of us is the opportunity to disclose our product secret,” he said, noting it allows Uniqlo to tell a product story. “A customer never sees just by looking.” Fast Retailing, which has 61 stores in North America, plans to open 10 more by August, with an eventual goal of 200 stores here, Daisuke Tsukagoshi, Uniqlo’s CEO for the U.S. and Canada, recently told Bloomberg. Fast Retailing expects to report a 15% increase in annual revenue to 2.65 trillion Japanese yen when its fiscal year ends in August. On the podcast, Nakasuji also talks about how Uniqlo is reconciling its fast-fashion identity with sustainability, particularly when trying to attract younger Gen Z consumers, and discusses what else is ahead for the chain later this year.

How Uniqlo is engaging Gen Z with livestream shopping and in-store marketing

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