Casual Clothes Like Weekly Magazines

“This is how the first "UNICLO CLOTHING WAREHOUSE" casual wear store introduced in the preface of this book was born. The store's business philosophy is to "let customers buy casual clothes like they buy weekly magazines." The shops are located in densely populated urban areas, but they are located in alleys and the rent is cheap. We rented the first and second floors of an apartment building, which totaled about 330 square meters. The price of the product is set at 1,000 yen and 1,900 yen. The first day the store opened was an unprecedented event. From the time it opened at 6 a.m. to the next two days, there were so many people coming to the store that we had to limit the number of people entering the store.”

“The volume of sales of men's suits largely depends on the salesman's skills and attitude towards the customer. The same piece of clothing, if recommended properly, might just be sold. If not properly recommended, business that should have been done may be lost. Therefore, selling suits, whether it's marketing or sizing, requires very high skills and experience. However, selling casual clothes is different: you do not have to measure and tailor the customer. Nevertheless, popular items often sell out and the less popular ones might not sell at all, creating a significant gap. Men's clothing, especially suits, is expensive and has a high margin but just like Japanese kimono, the turnover period is very long, usually only twice a year and at best three times. If the sales are good, it can make money, but if not, inventory could pile up. Sometimes, I feel like a taxi driver who only wants to pick up long-haul passengers, waiting for the opportunity takes a long time.”