Uniqlo store in Tokyo

Uniqlo store in Tokyo

RETAIL OPENINGS

Uniqlo For All--Except LA

Uniqlo, the Japanese fast-fashion retailer and purveyor of puffer coats in every color, has announced an ambitious lineup of 10 US store openings this fall.

The list includes two in New Jersey (in Bridgewater and Edison); one in Connecticut (in Trumbull); three in the New York metropolitan area (in Brooklyn, Staten Island and Lake Grove) and four in Northern California (in San Mateo, Santa Clara, Emeryville and San Francisco—which has the distinction of already having the only other California store).

The openings, set to occur between Oct. 4 and Nov. 8, will bring the chain’s total US store count to 17.

But the news makes no mention of a Southern California store. Again.

The retailer even has family here. The chain’s parent company Fast Retailing Co., bought LA premium denim label J Brand in 2012. And in January, the company’s US division hired former Forever 21 EVP Larry Meyer as chief operating officer.

For those of you close enough to one of the new stores, Uniqlo is giving away $500 shopping sprees. (More information is available on the Uniqlo website).

Meanwhile, in Southern California, we continue to wait…