HUGE STAND-ALONE UNIQLO READY TO OPEN ITS DOORS

Shoppers are looking forward to the opening of the week. Uniqlo’s first roadside store in Thailand — in fact, in Southeast Asia — will be unveiled this Friday at its location on Pattanakarn 58. The area on the eastern suburb is not exactly known as a shopping haven, especially in fashion, and the traffic can be quite a challenge, with ongoing construction nearby. But Uniqlo, being Uniqlo, is confident that it commands a loyal following among Thai shoppers since its operation — and rapid expansion — began here in 2011. (The super-long queue that snaked through the entirety of CentralWorld was evidence of that.) The new stand-alone store on Pattanakarn is the fourth such store in the world (Japan, Korea and Taiwan have come before). It will be the 36th Uniqlo store in Thailand; all the other branches are located inside department stores. According to a report by Kyodo, a full product line-up — men’s, women’s and children’s wear — will be on display at the outlet with a floor space of about 1,440m² and 50-60 car parking spots. Uniqlo is a brand under Fast Retailing, Japan’s leading casual-wear chain operator, and it expects 2,000-3,000 customer visits a week at this new location, which is close to Triamudom Pattanakarn School. Kyodo also reports that by April, Uniqlo plans to add two more outlets inside the Central Group’s department stores in Samut Sakhon, and in the northern province of Phitsanulok. Fast Retailing had 175 Uniqlo stores in Southeast Asia and Oceania as of last year, and plans to add 40 more this year. Last week, Uniqlo had another big opening in Medan, Indonesia. It’s the first store in that country outside the populous Java Island. The addition of Uniqlo will make dull Pattanakarn a little cooler, so it seems. It will also bring more cars to the area, which is mostly residential, since the nearest public transport is an Airport Link station 1km away. Still, shop we must.