In a saturated retail market, Japanese Uniqlo is an outlier.

在飽和的零售市場中，日本優衣庫是一個異類。

In fiscal year 2014, the company's international business brought in $2 billion in revenue.

2014 財年，公司的國際業務收入達到 20 億美元。

Ten years later, that number reached $11 billion.

十年後，這一數字達到了 110 億美元。

Uniqlo's success lies in its ability to offer essential basics that are timeless, the kinds of things that you want to have in your closet, regardless of what's going on with trends.

優衣庫的成功在於它能夠提供永恆的基本款，無論潮流如何變化，你都想在衣櫥裡擁有這些基本款。

After initially launching in 2005 and shutting down within a year, the international segment has brought in over 20 percent in operating profits over the past three years.

國際部最初於 2005 年啟動，一年內關閉，而在過去三年中，國際部帶來了超過 20% 的營運利潤。

In its most recent quarter, the company's operating profits rose to just under a billion dollars and maintained its forecast for a fourth consecutive year of record earnings.

在最近一個季度，該公司的營業利潤增長到略低於 10 億美元，並保持了連續第四年創紀錄盈利的預期。

However, sales growth in China declined due to what parent company Fast Retailing said was unseasonably warm weather.

然而，由於母公司 Fast Retailing 稱天氣反常溫暖，中國的銷售增長出現下滑。

In 2021, it became the most valuable clothing company by market capitalization.

2021 年，它成為市值最高的服裝公司。

As of January 2025, Uniqlo is the second largest, trailing Zara owner Inditex.

截至 2025 年 1 月，優衣庫已成為第二大品牌，僅次於 Zara 的所有者 Inditex。

CNBC took a closer look at Uniqlo to learn more about the quiet retailer's success, how it differentiates itself from competitors, and see why CEO Tadashi Yanai considers the brand a tech company and not a fashion company.

CNBC 對優衣庫進行了一次近距離的觀察，以瞭解這家安靜的零售商的成功之道，它是如何將自己與競爭對手區分開來的，以及為什麼首席執行官柳井正認為該品牌是一家科技公司而非時尚公司。

Uniqlo opened its first store in Hiroshima, Japan, in 1984.

1984 年，優衣庫在日本廣島開設了第一家門店。

It was originally called Unique Clothing Warehouse, and the parent company, originally named Menshop Ogoro Shoji, now Fast Retailing, is one of Japan's biggest retailers.

它原名 Unique Clothing Warehouse，母公司原名 Menshop Ogoro Shoji，現名 Fast Retailing，是日本最大的零售商之一。

It owns a total of nine brands, including Helmet Lang, Theory, J Brand, and GU. 2000 was a breakthrough year for the company.

它總共擁有九個品牌，包括 Helmet Lang、Theory、J Brand 和 GU。2000 年是該公司取得突破性進展的一年。

Its 1900 yen fleece apparel campaign, which at the time was equal to about $15, was a massive success for the company.

其 1900 日元的羊毛衫活動（當時約合 15 美元）取得了巨大成功。

It sold 2 million units in 1998, 8.5 million in 1999, and 20 million in 2000.

1998 年售出 200 萬臺，1999 年售出 850 萬臺，2000 年售出 2000 萬臺。

Overall sales grew 459% between 1997 and 2001, which led to its global expansion, first in London, then Shanghai.

1997 年至 2001 年間，銷售總額增長了 459%，並由此開始了全球擴張，先是在倫敦，然後是上海。

Uniqlo then opened its first U.S. store in 2005 in New Jersey, but problems like low brand recognition and weak differentiation caused it to shutter its stores within a year.

優衣庫隨後於 2005 年在新澤西州開設了第一家美國門店，但由於品牌知名度低、差異化弱等問題，不到一年就關閉了門店。

The brand was back in the U.S. in 2012.

該品牌於 2012 年重返美國。

It plans to reach more than 200 stores in North America by 2027, nearly triple its current store count.

該公司計劃到 2027 年在北美開設 200 多家門店，幾乎是目前門店數量的三倍。

Fast Retailing CEO Tadashi Yanai is now Japan's richest person with a net worth of $44.6 billion.

Fast Retailing 首席執行官柳井正目前以 446 億美元的淨資產成為日本首富。

Yanai unseated SoftBank leader Masayoshi San as the country's wealthiest in 2019.

2019 年，柳井正取代軟銀領導人三井物產（Masayoshi San）成為中國最富有的人。

Fast forward to today.

時至今日。

In just the last four years, its international business has largely outpaced its domestic.

僅在過去的四年裡，其國際業務的發展速度就大大超過了國內業務。

Uniqlo's claim to fame is its minimalistic, durable and functional style.

優衣庫以其簡約、耐用和實用的風格而聞名。

Its stores very much display the aesthetic.

它的商店非常注重審美。

Uniqlo increasingly over the last 20 years, but maybe in particular the last 10 years, have been very fit for our times.

優衣庫在過去 20 年裡，尤其是最近 10 年裡，越來越適合我們的時代。

And what do I mean by that?

我這麼說是什麼意思？

They provide functional basics, decent design, unflattered stores, a color palette that kind of probably speaks to most of us.

它們提供實用的基本功能、得體的設計、不雜亂的店面以及可能適合我們大多數人的色調。

It kind of operates in its own little world because retailers have been kind of trained to respond to the latest trends very quickly.

它在自己的小世界裡運作，因為零售商已經被訓練得能夠對最新潮流做出快速反應。

And of course, that works.

當然，這也行得通。

And there's always going to be a customer for those types of stores.

這類商店永遠會有顧客。

But to find a retailer that's just focused on the everyday essentials and offering you every color and fit of those everyday essentials, then they are in a league of their own.

但是，如果有一家零售商只專注於日常必需品，併為你提供各種顏色和款式的日常必需品，那他們就是獨一無二的。

Its Heatech and Aerism lines have become the company's staples.

其 Heatech 和 Aerism 系列已成為公司的主打產品。

The Heatech collection exceeded $1.5 billion in cumulative unit sales through 2022, 19 years after the brand launched the collection.

Heatech 系列推出 19 年後的 2022 年，累計銷售額已超過 15 億美元。

Aerism, once called Silky Dry for Men and Seraphine for Women, has done well for the brand, too.

Aerism 曾被稱為 "男士絲滑乾爽系列 "和 "女士絲滑乾爽系列"，該品牌也取得了不錯的業績。

We've all been there where we're wearing something in the summer, a cotton T-shirt or cotton pants that are just making us sweat.

我們都有過這樣的經歷，夏天穿的棉質 T 恤或棉褲讓人汗流浹背。

They're heavy.

它們很重。

You're not wicking away moisture.

你沒有排出溼氣。

It's not breathable.

不透氣

Uniqlo has an offering for people like that.

優衣庫為這樣的人提供了一款產品。

It solves that pain point, which is one of the reasons why it's been such a winner.

它解決了這一痛點，這也是它如此成功的原因之一。

The company says product launches are based on a deep focus on customer feedback.

該公司表示，產品的推出是基於對客戶反饋的深入關注。

During a November presentation, the company highlighted this two-way communication, where consumers asked for a sweater that didn't itch.

在 11 月份的一次演示中，該公司強調了這種雙向溝通，即消費者要求不癢的毛衣。

Uniqlo responded by developing Soufflé Yarn knitwear.

對此，優衣庫開發出了 "Soufflé Yarn "針織品。

It's become a favorite.

它已成為我的最愛。

Uniqlo is a very customer-centric organization.

優衣庫是一家以顧客為中心的企業。

It listens very actively to customers, whether it be via social media, by feedback surveys or indeed by people talking to associates in stores.

無論是通過社交媒體、反饋調查，還是在店內與店員交談，它都會非常積極地傾聽客戶的意見。

It gathers all of that feedback and it really implements that in terms of how it designs products, how it comes up with new iterations.

它收集所有的反饋，並將其真正落實到產品設計和新產品迭代中。

That's really important for Uniqlo.

這對優衣庫來說非常重要。

Uniqlo excels at the in-store experience.

優衣庫擅長店內體驗。

Walking through a location, it's clear the company places a priority on cleanliness and order.

走過一個個地點，就能明顯感受到公司對清潔和秩序的重視。

The in-store experience garnered enough attention that the Chicago location received the Business Impact of the Year award from Chicago's Magnificent Mile Association, one of the area's most active business associations.

店內體驗贏得了足夠的關注，芝加哥分店是以獲得了芝加哥壯麗一英里協會頒發的 "年度商業影響獎"，該協會是該地區最活躍的商業協會之一。

The Japanese retailer has since closed the store.

這家日本零售商隨後關閉了這家商店。

It is another location a mile away.

這是一英里外的另一個地點。

The in-store experience is the primary marketing channel in itself because, in fact, you don't see much marketing outside the stores.

店內體驗本身就是主要的營銷管道，因為事實上，你在店外看不到多少營銷活動。

Data shows that 72 percent of consumers still shop in-store over online.

數據顯示，72% 的消費者仍在實體店購物，而非網上購物。

So the idea of making your store the main marketing channel is something many retailers are emphasizing, including Uniqlo.

是以，讓店鋪成為主要營銷管道是許多零售商都在強調的理念，優衣庫也不例外。

When you enter into a Uniqlo store, you're obviously captivated by the large windows.

當你走進優衣庫的店鋪時，顯然會被其寬大的櫥窗所吸引。

It's also very bright.

它還非常明亮。

It becomes what we call the very modern light in retail.

這就是我們所說的零售業中的 "現代之光"。

But the stores are also very uncluttered.

但商店也非常整潔。

They are easily divided between genders, between seasons, between what items you're going to get at.

它們很容易區分性別、季節和你要買的物品。

Everyone is friendly.

每個人都很友好。

There's no boxes flying around in the aisles.

過道里沒有滿天飛的盒子。

And it's not too complicated to go into a Uniqlo store.

而且，進入優衣庫商店也並不複雜。

Uniqlo uses RFID technology or radio frequency identification as part of the checkout process.

優衣庫在結賬過程中使用 RFID 技術或射頻識別技術。

It allows customers to pay for items without any scanning.

客戶無需掃描即可支付貨款。

No tags, no barcodes, a streamlined process.

無標籤、無條碼，流程簡化。

When you go to Uniqlo stores, you notice a lot of innovations, things that set it apart from other retailers.

當你去優衣庫商店時，你會發現很多創新，這些創新讓優衣庫有別於其他零售商。

For example, when you go to the checkout at a lot of their stores, you don't necessarily need a cashier to ring up every individual item.

例如，在許多商店結賬時，並不一定需要收銀員對每件物品進行清點。

They have these bins where you can put all of your clothes into one bin and it automatically reads QR codes that are in the tags.

他們有這樣的垃圾桶，你可以把所有的衣服都放進一個垃圾桶裡，它會自動讀取標籤上的二維碼。

And it just automatically knows every single item that you have in there.

它就會自動知道你放在裡面的每一件物品。

H&M and Zara are some other retailers that have adopted such technology.

H&M 和 Zara 等零售商也採用了這種技術。

RFID tech as a whole has been around for a while, but advances in the technology have increased retail adoption.

RFID 技術作為一個整體已經存在了一段時間，但該技術的進步提高了零售業的採用率。

Ninety three percent of retailers are using the radio frequency tech in some fashion.

93% 的零售商正在以某種方式使用射頻技術。

Local activations is another emphasis of Uniqlo's.

在地活動是優衣庫的另一個重點。

The Uniqlo experience that I would expect to have in Barcelona, in Tokyo or New York City, it has to be all in all the same thing.

無論是在巴塞羅那、東京還是紐約，我所期待的優衣庫體驗都是一樣的。

But obviously, when you have a local face showing up in the store in activation campaigns, I as a Chinese, as an American, I feel that the brand speaks to me and it's kind of understand my culture and that's what you need to do.

但很顯然，當你讓當地人出現在店內的活動宣傳中時，作為一箇中國人，作為一個美國人，我覺得這個品牌是在和我說話，是在理解我的文化，這就是你需要做的。

Uniqlo stores sell clothing made by local artists and businesses.

優衣庫商店出售當地藝術家和企業製作的服裝。

Uniqlo is very good at localness and most of the products are international.

優衣庫非常善於本土化，大部分產品都是國際性的。

They sell across the world.

它們暢銷全球。

But there is a fraction of them that they change up from store to store and they make sure that there is a local flavor.

但其中有一部分，他們會在不同的商店之間進行更換，確保有當地特色。

Now, that's important because tastes can vary locally.

這一點很重要，因為各地的口味可能不同。

But it's also important because it makes the stores feel very grounded and very relevant to each location.

但這一點也很重要，因為它讓商店感覺非常接地氣，與每個地方都息息相關。

It really shows that Uniqlo is thinking about local markets.

這確實表明優衣庫在考慮當地市場。

Personalized and interactive demos enhance customer loyalty.

個性化的互動演示可提高客戶忠誠度。

The Uniqlo studio allows customers to tailor or hand their Uniqlo products.

在優衣庫工作室，顧客可以量身定製或親手製作優衣庫產品。

Uniqlo's road ahead isn't all clear.

優衣庫的前路並不平坦。

Competition from popular retailers like Gap and H&M.

來自 Gap 和 H&M 等熱門零售商的競爭。

It's lagging e-commerce operation and an unclear succession plan are all some of its challenges ahead.

電子商務營運滯後，繼任計劃不明確，這些都是它面臨的挑戰。

There is a risk that retailers like Gap could find their feet again and that may put more pressure on Uniqlo.

Gap 等零售商有可能重新站穩腳跟，這可能會給優衣庫帶來更大的壓力。

You also, of course, have the rise of some of the fast fashion players like Shein and Teemu.

當然，Shein 和 Teemu 等快時尚品牌也在崛起。

And whilst they're in a slightly different segment because they tend to be much more about disposable fashion, they are moving into the arena.

雖然它們所處的細分市場略有不同，因為它們更傾向於一次性時尚，但它們也在向這一領域進軍。

So Uniqlo is not going to have an easy time of it going forward.

是以，優衣庫今後的日子不會好過。

And I think they can still remain distinct and I think that they have a very strong position.

我認為他們仍然可以保持與眾不同，我認為他們的地位非常穩固。

But there are definitely threats on the horizon.

但地平線上肯定存在威脅。

Zara, owned by Spanish Inditex, Swedish H&M and the United States Gap are all Uniqlo's direct competitors and the company lags far behind them all in e-commerce.

西班牙 Inditex 旗下的 Zara、瑞典的 H&M 和美國的 Gap 都是優衣庫的直接競爭對手，而優衣庫在電子商務方面遠遠落後於它們。

One of the areas where Uniqlo could do a little bit more is with e-commerce, especially in the U.S., because it doesn't have a huge number of stores.

優衣庫可以做得更多的領域之一是電子商務，尤其是在美國，因為它的門店數量並不多。

And therefore it sort of punches under its weight in terms of the number of consumers it can reach.

是以，就能接觸到的消費者數量而言，它有點力不從心。

So it could use e-commerce as a vehicle to really fill in those gaps as it opens more stores.

是以，在開設更多門店的同時，它可以利用電子商務作為載體，真正填補這些空白。

In 2023, Uniqlo announced its goal to reach 200 stores in the U.S. by 2027.

2023 年，優衣庫宣佈了到 2027 年在美國開設 200 家門店的目標。

As of February 2025, it has 69.

截至 2025 年 2 月，共有 69 個。

That means 131 more stores in just three years.

這意味著在短短三年內，將增加 131 家門店。

Of course, they're going to be careful not to overexpand.

當然，他們會小心謹慎，避免過度擴張。

And we have seen that back in history.

我們在歷史上就看到過這種情況。

The history books are full of that.

歷史書上有很多這樣的記載。

When brands suddenly became kind of everyday brands for people and they got a little tired of it.

當品牌突然成為人們的日常品牌時，他們就有點厭倦了。

But I think they have a longer leeway for Uniqlo in order to reach that.

但我認為，要達到這一目標，優衣庫還需要更長的時間。

Fast retailing CEO Tadashi Inai is looked at as a visionary.

Fast retailing 首席執行官 Tadashi Inai 被視為一位有遠見的人。

However, he's 75 and any great company has to consider a qualified succession plan.

不過，他已經 75 歲了，任何一家偉大的公司都必須考慮一個合格的繼任計劃。

So much of a company's success is based on management.

公司的成功很大程度上取決於管理。

It doesn't matter how great your product is or how great your stores are.

你的產品有多好，你的商店有多棒，這都不重要。

If you're managed poorly and if your balance sheet and your growth plans aren't managed appropriately by that CEO and its team of executives, then you're going to crash and burn.

如果你的管理不善，如果你的資產負債表和增長計劃沒有得到首席執行官及其高管團隊的適當管理，那麼你就會崩潰和燒燬。

So for a company like Uniqlo that does have a 75 year old CEO at the helm.

是以，對於像優衣庫這樣有一位 75 歲高齡的首席執行官掌舵的公司來說。

If they're not succession planning already, then that's a huge risk for the company.

如果他們還沒有制定繼任計劃，那對公司來說就是巨大的風險。

Succession is always a concern.

接班人問題始終令人擔憂。

But this is something that Uniqlo will have on its radar.

但優衣庫會關注這一點。

And there is a very strong brand vision that goes beyond Unite.

此外，"團結 "還有一個非常強大的品牌願景。