UNIQLO to widen its reach with online store
UNIQLO, Japan’s global fashion label, will open an online store for the Thai market next Friday, in a move that will complement its physical stores by offering unlimited items, nationwide coverage and around-the-clock access to consumers.
Chanvit Khieonavavongsa, marketing and public relations director and head of e-commerce at UNIQLO Thailand, said the online store would help strengthen the firm’s “Made for All” brand promise, which means serving customers in all groups.
Entering the Thai market nearly five years ago, UNIQLO currently has 32 physical branches in nine provinces, covering around one-third of the population.
The e-commerce channel is a means of answering the demand for broader coverage, since the firm has consistently received queries from consumers who do not live in those areas where it has branches, he said.
Furthermore, the online store has free space to offer a vast number of sizes, colours and stock-keeping units to serve customers’ fashion needs, he added.
Exclusive to the Thai online store, UNIQLO will offer cash payment on delivery to address concerns of those Thai consumers who are still not confident about using credit cards for online transactions.
Chanvit said the online channel would not, however, decelerate UNIQLO’s expansion of its physical outlets in the Kingdom.
“We consider this [physical expansion] separately. As long as there are good locations and customers, [we will open a store]. There is no intention of reducing the opening of branches,” he stressed.
UNIQLO Thailand, which opened two branches in the first half of this year, is scheduled to introduce another two outlets – at Blu Port in Hua Hin, and at the Mall Korat – in September.
The Thai online store is the Japanese fashion label’s 12th worldwide, following similar stores launched in Singapore in 2014 and in Malaysia last year.
UNIQLO has assigned Singapore Post to handle logistics and delivery for orders placed via the Thai online store, with guaranteed nationwide delivery of between one and three days. The company charges no delivery fee, while the packaging charge is waived for orders of above Bt1,500.
Customers can return their goods to the company within 30 days if they are not satisfied.
Due to go live on July 29 on www.uniqlo.com/th, UNIQLO Online Store will offer exclusive online items and collections such as the KAWS collection of companion t-shirts, the new Fall/Winter Ultra Light Down collection and the HeatTech line of thermal wear.
To celebrate the online launch, the company will also offer special prices for some of its best-selling men’s and women’s items.
Chanvit said the e-commerce expansion was part of UNIQLO’s global target to have 30 per cent of its sales derived from the online channel by 2020.
UNIQLO Online Store comes as it has already built sufficient brand awareness and established a substantial presence online in the Thai market, such as through Line, where it has 12 million subscribers, and more than 1 million likes on Facebook, he added.
Thailand’s Internet penetration rate is expected to reach 56 per cent this year, or 36 million people, growing over 20 per cent from last year, while about 42 per cent of Internet users have experienced buying online.
The estimated value of the Thai e-commerce market last year was Bt1.2 trillion, up 3.65 per cent from the 2014 level. Beauty and fashion together accounted for 42.6 per cent of all online transactions. Chanvit said UNIQLO sales in Thailand so far this year were still in line with its target.
To build consumer awareness of UNIQLO Online Store and attract only shoppers, an integrated marketing communication plan will be launched across offline and online channels nationwide, including print, radio and in-store materials, as well as communication on social-media platforms, he explained.
