Uniqlo same-store sales up 4 percent in July on stay-at-home demand

Casual fashion brand Uniqlo’s Japanese same-store sales rose 4 percent year on year in July as consumers stocked up on comfortable “stay at home” clothes amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, its owner, Fast Retailing Co, said.

The rise in domestic same-store sales, including online purchases, followed a 26-per-cent jump in June, which came after a three-month slump when the coronavirus outbreak kept shoppers at home and tourists away.

“Stay at home demand” lifted July sales, with items such as stretchy jogging pants and oversized T-shirts proving popular, the company said.

Analysts have said Uniqlo’s focus on practical, everyday clothes rather than more on-trend fashion may help it weather the coronavirus downturn better than global peers.