UNIQLO parent Fast Retailing will open its first GU retail store in the U.S. this fall with a pop-up shop in New York City’s SoHo neighborhood. The 2,900-square-foot ground floor space will be GU’s first store outside Asia and will offer a selection of on-trend clothing and accessories for men and women.
Sharing its FY2023 plans in an April 2022 statement, Fast Retailing, which also owns fashion brand Theory, noted that it was inspired by the strength of the North American market. At the time, the company revealed its plans to open 30 new stores per year across North America and increase its total doors to 200 in the region within five years.
Pronounced like “gee-you,” the sound of the GU brand name closely resembles the Japanese word “jiyu,” which means “freedom.” Launched in 2006, the company currently operates 450 locations.
“It is a great honor to be opening our first store in the United States,” said Osamu Yunoki, CEO of G.U. Co., Ltd. in a statement. “New York is a place where people with diverse backgrounds come together from around the world, an exciting city where fashion, art, music and other varied cultural elements intersect. By opening a pop-up shop in the center of SoHo, we will be able to reach a wide range of customers, including New York residents as well as tourists, offering them products filled with the sense of trendiness exemplified in the GU brand message of ‘YOUR FREEDOM,’ and allowing them to enjoy outfits that freely express their individuality.”
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