Fast Retailing, the parent company of popular Japanese retailer Uniqlo, recently hosted its “LifeWear = a New Industry” media and analyst briefing. The event showcased Fast Retailing’s efforts to reshape its business model to balance sustainability and growth while contributing to a more sustainable society through a circular business approach. The briefing revealed the company’s newly implemented processes and systems, designed to enhance visibility and control over environmental and workplace factors across its entire supply chain and post-purchase phases. Additionally, Fast Retailing provided updates on its public sustainability targets for the fiscal year 2030, the company announced in a release on Wednesday.
Fast Retailing is committed to establishing a robust and agile supply chain to foster sustainability. By extending its long-term partnerships with garment and materials producers to upstream processes, the company aims to have better control over the entire supply chain. This allows it to enforce quality, procurement, production, environmental, and worker rights standards at every stage of production. The company has visualized its supply chain from finished products back to the raw material level. It has initiated consolidation with select partners, with plans to source raw materials from designated farms and ranches.
Simultaneously, Fast Retailing is expanding its RE.UNIQLO initiative, which promotes recycling and reuse of all Uniqlo products. After the successful launch of its Recycled Down Jacket in 2020, Fast Retailing is now focused on developing additional clothing-to-clothing recycling products utilizing materials such as cashmere, wool, and cotton.
Koji Yanai, Senior Executive Officer of the Fast Retailing Group, emphasized the company’s dedication to ensuring the longevity and quality of each LifeWear item provided to customers. He stated, “We are uncompromising, through product development, production, and post-sale, to ensure our products are used longer and with greater peace of mind. Together with our customers, local communities, and business partners, we continue to expand the possibilities of LifeWear, creating a business to enrich people’s lives and society around the world.”
The briefing also covered several key initiatives, including product development, sustainable LifeWear, reducing greenhouse emissions, biodiversity initiatives, and social contributions.
Fast Retailing’s product development initiatives aim to increase the use of low greenhouse gas emission materials, such as recycled materials, focusing on reaching the FY2030 target of 50% for polyester products. The company is also using recycled materials in HEATTECH and AIRism products and plans to expand this practice.
In addition to its commitment to recycling, Fast Retailing is working to ensure the sustainability of its supply chain by directly applying quality and environmental standards across all production stages. The company is diversifying its production bases, expanding domestic production, and enhancing visibility and control over raw materials procurement.
Fast Retailing is making progress in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and aims to transition to 100% renewable electricity for all its stores and offices worldwide by the end of FY2030. The company is also dedicated to biodiversity conservation and social contribution activities, including support for refugee women and initiatives to increase female management representation.
The transformation of Fast Retailing’s supply chain and its commitment to sustainability aligns with the company’s vision to provide affordable, high-quality clothing that enriches people’s lives.
Uniqlo’s LifeWear reflects Japanese values of simplicity, quality, and longevity. It offers modern and elegant clothing that evolves to meet the changing needs of individuals, combining warmth, lightness, design, and comfort.
Fast Retailing Co. Ltd. is a leading Japanese retail holding company headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. Uniqlo is its largest brand, with global sales of approximately 2.77 trillion yen for the fiscal year ending August 31, 2023. Fast Retailing is dedicated to creating innovative clothing with new and unique value to enrich the lives of people worldwide.
