Record trading year for Fast Retailing

Uniqlo parent Fast Retailing has had record revenue and profit levels for its latest trading year, to August 31.

Consolidated revenue reached ¥1.8619 trillion (US$16.6 trillion), up 4.2 per cent year on year, the operating profit soared 38.6 per cent to  ¥176.4 billion while profit attributable to the owners ballooned 148.2 per cent to ¥119.2 billion.
Net profit expanded by 2.5 times mainly because of profit gains by Uniqlo International.

Uniqlo Japan: Gross profit margin improves but operating profit down…

• Revenue up 1.4 per cent to ¥810.7 billion
• Operating profit down 6.4 per cent to ¥95.9 billion
• Full-year same-store sales expand by 1.1 per cent (second-half growth of 2.4 per cent, thanks to sales of newsworthy items such as wireless bras and Dry Stretch Kando Pants).
• Gross profit margin improves by 0.3 points.

Uniqlo International: Operating profit nearly doubles as Southeast Asia business enters growth stage…

• Revenue up 8.1 per cent to ¥708.1 billion
• Operating profit almost doubles (95.4 per cent) to ¥73.1 billion on improved gross profit margins and leaner cost structures regionally, as well as a halving of the operating loss at Uniqlo USA
• Performance especially strong in Southeast Asia and Oceania, where operating profit doubled year on year.

Uniqlo Greater China and Uniqlo South Korea also reported large year-on-year profit gains, says Fast Retailing.