Jun 16 (Japan Times) - Asia’s largest retailer is betting that it has the right product at the right time: a Uniqlo face mask.
Fast Retailing Co., operator of the clothing stores, will begin selling reusable face masks in Japan on Friday, the company said in a statement Monday. The masks, which will be sold in sets of three and retail for ¥990 ($9), aim for both performance and comfort, according to the company.
Uniqlo joins a constellation of businesses seeking to offer new products and services as the coronavirus pandemic upends lifestyles around the globe, changing how people work, dress and eat. Companies are racing to adapt to that change; Fast Retailing said the decision to make and sell masks was due to customer demand.
Plans for sales of the Uniqlo masks outside of its home base of Japan will be announced as they are set, Fast Retailing said. With more than 2,000 stores globally and over $20 billion in annual sales, it would be one of the largest retailers to sell masks. Other large apparel makers such as Gap Inc., Madewell Inc. and Adidas AG have also recently introduced face masks.
Fast Retailing, which plans to produce 500,000 mask packs a week, will use its breathable AIRism fabric for the masks, which it developed with Japanese textile company Toray Industries Inc.
