Uniqlo store in Harajuku, Tokyo
Harajuku is known as the centre of Japanese young fashion and culture, and it's the location where Uniqlo's first central Tokyo branch opened back in 1998, and closed 8 years ago.
A new bigger, more stylish, and edgy Uniqlo Harajuku store opened its during summer 2020. The store is located inside Harajuku shopping complex and is designed to attract the younger generation, offering products that allow customers to experience the culture through the latest digital technology.
The two-storey Harajuku flagship allows for customers to listen to Spotify playlists curated by style influencers, and to look out for a 3-metre-tall statue of Billie Eilish by Japan's leading contemporary artist Takashi Murakami. But the most unique feature of the store is The Outfit Library of the future. Review.
Floor 1
UT POP OUT: new and popular items
When customers enter to the store from the street level, they find the UT section which is dedicated to UNIQLO T-shirts and UT items. This floor is filled with T-shirts from collaborations with various popular artists and brands.
As part of celebration of its inauguration, Uniqlo released a new UT collection teaming up with Billie Eilish and Takashi Murakami.
Under the UT brand, the store also sells lifestyle merchandises such as bags, stickers, ceramic dishes, stationery items, notebooks and a variety of new items.
This futuristic space was created by the total creative director Kashiwa Sato, best-known for designing the UNIQLO logo.
First basement floor
Main floor
As customers go downstairs, the basement will come into view where all the newest items are sold. This floor was designed to facilitate the shopping experience for the customers. Indeed, all the clothes that are on the mannequins have a reference, so customers know where to find them in the store. Also, some items are mixed in the assortment to find one particular total look; for example the mannequins' denim and tops are stored together in the store to facilitate the re-creation of the look"
Something that characterise Harajuku store is the "genderless" style, as the male mannequins wear oversized tops paired with women's wear.
The Outfit Library of the future
Perhaps the most notable feature of the store is "The Outfit Library of the future", created in collaboration with StyleHint (an App that allows user to find looks from pictures saved or taken on their mobile phone).
The style search engine application was developed by Uniqlo and GU. This "library" links up with StyleHint to provide a fusion of physical and digital shopping experience. With 240 panels displayed on the wall, customers can use a touch pen to browse and search the latest clothes posted by Uniqlo influencers. It helps to view the store's stock in real time, figure out where to find specific clothes at the store and see what the seasonal outfits are. This concept is referred to as a "library of future clothing" and customers can also download the app and make online purchases later through a QR code.
*Other features*
Other aspects specific to the store are displays of books on Tokyo and Harajuku's unique culture and history, a flower stand, a listening corner in collaboration with local musicians and Spotify, a sustainability corner with clothing recycle bins and displays showing Uniqlo's environmental efforts.
*Covid measurements*
Rather than using fingers on the touchscreens, customers will use pre-sanitised stylus which will then be returned to a separate container to be re-sanitised. The staff will monitor the number of customers inside the store and will be wearing masks all the time.