Fast Retailing
| Company type | Public |
|---|---|
| Industry | Retail |
| Predecessor | Men's Shop Ogori Shoji |
| Founded | 1949 |
| Founder | Hitoshi Yanai |
| Headquarters | Hiroshima , Japan |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Tadashi Yanai (Chairman, CEO, President) |
| Products | Apparel brands including Uniqlo, J Brand, Comptoir des Cotonniers, GU, Princesse Tam-Tam, Theory |
is a publicly traded Japanese multinational retail holding enterprise. It manages various brands, with its primary subsidiary being Uniqlo, alongside others such as J Brand, Comptoir des Cotonniers, GU, Princesse Tam-Tam, and Theory.
History
The company was originally established as Men's Shop Ogori Shoji in 1949 and later incorporated under the name Ogōri Shōji Co., Ltd. in 1963 by Hitoshi Yanai. In 1984, it launched a casual apparel outlet called Unique Clothing Warehouse in Hiroshima City, which eventually evolved into Uniqlo.
In September 1991, the firm adopted the name Fast Retailing Co., Ltd. It became listed on the Hiroshima Stock Exchange in 1994 and subsequently joined the first section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange in 1999.
Fast Retailing pursued global growth by acquiring a stake in Link Theory Holdings Co., Ltd. in 2004, thereby gaining control over the American fashion labels Theory and Helmut Lang, before acquiring full ownership in 2009.
In 2007, the company placed an unsuccessful offer of ¥900 million to purchase Barneys New York from Jones Apparel Group.
The year 2012 saw Fast Retailing obtain an 80% ownership interest in the premium denim manufacturer J Brand for $290 million, in addition to $10 million paid as advisory fees.
Chairman
- Hitoshi Yanai (1963–1984)
- Tadashi Yanai (1984–present)
CEO
- Hitoshi Yanai (1963–1984)
- Tadashi Yanai (1984–present)
President
- Hitoshi Yanai (1963–1984)
- Tadashi Yanai (1984–2002)
- Tadashi Yanai (2005–present)