Ch.8 Segmenting and targeting markets

Uniqlo strives to sell clothing for those who want a basic and high-quality clothing.  If you were to visit Uniqlo’s shopping website, you will see that the models are wearing clothing that are basic and simple. Also, Uniqlo is making clothing as one part of total style, which means the clothing can fit with any other clothing. As a result, Uniqlo makes many colorful, types and sizes clothing. This is its previous slogan "Make for All" and new slogan“Lifewear”. In addition, these are low prices.






Maybe some people who want a expensive clothing won't buy Uniqlo's products. They won't be in Uniqlo's market segment. 

Ch.11 Developing and managing product

New products are important to sustain growth, increase revenues and profits, and replace out of date products.  The term New Product has many different meanings, and there are six different categories; New-to-the-world products, New product lines, Additions to existing product lines, Improvements or revisions of existing products, Repositioned products, and Lower-priced products. The categories that Uniqlo falls under is Improvements or Revisions of Existing Products and Lower-Priced Products.

The most recent product Uniqlo launched is new improved fleece in October 15 in Japan. it was a project for celebrating 20 anniversary of selling a fleece. The new fleece was made as more 1.5 times warmer than previous one. Uniqlo found a special yarn and that is first idea to use it for making a clothing.


On the other hand, in USA, the most new products Uniqlo launched is new collection for fall and winter 2014 from +J collection in September 10. This +J collection has started in 2009 winter and is collaboration with a famous German designer Jil sander. His design is basic and simple, and totally matches with Uniqlo's concept, Lifewear. The collection is very popular since it has launched.



  These new products can be categorized under Improvements or Revisions of Existing Products.   
In addition, even if these are new, high quality and designed by famous designer, the prices are Uniqlo's price, which means low. for example, the fleeces' price is from $10 to $30 and +J collection's price is from $40 to $150. That is a reason why these products sold well and leads to the next category, Lower-Priced Products.

This is Uniqlo's new products.

In addition, Uniqlo locates as growth stage in product life cycle because it is still trying to open new stores in the world and it doesn't reach the maturity stage. Its product is a golden age of product, its selling doesn't stay at somewhere, but continues increasing.

Ch.12 servises and nonprofit organization marketing

Nonprofit organization marketing, is called NPO marketing, marks the community as target and doesn't gain any profit financially at all. It's usually used by hospital or NPO organizations. My company Uniqlo is a company to sell clothes toward costumers and gain a profit by selling. However, now Uniqlo attempts to do this NPO marketing as one of its CSR. That is Uniqlo Recycling.


Check this out!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tlnh-yyV1yU



 First, Uniqlo accepts all its products, which is used, from costumers at store, then Uniqlo gives all of them to countries or communities or people those need clothing, this is reuse.
Uniqlo thinks that all it's products are shareable, their responsibility is making use of the worth of all products maximally. Since it had started on June 2012, the amount of collected clothes is 29.15 million, and the amount of reused clothes is 11.29 million in 2013.



Through this NPO marketing, Uniqlo can make future costumers nonprofitly. 

Ch.10 product concepts

In fact, product concept doesn't mean only the concept but also it includes the service before and after purchase products. Uniqlo dose it in many ways.

For example, in online, it shows the explainment about products. You can choose women, men, or kid and if select one of them, next more details comes up such as swear, underwear, t-shite, knit or so on. The each category like woman,man and so on is product item and all these are making product line of Uniqlo. And once you click woman, you will see product line depth of woman items.
the woman's line depth is 42.






Uniqlo is a global brand because the earning  from outside of Japan is one third of whole.
In Sep 2013 to Aug 2014, the amount sold is 683.3billion in Japan and 251.1 billion in outside.

Ch.17 Personal selling and sales management

Personal selling is more important as the number of potential customers decreases ,as the complexity of the product increases, and as the value of the product grows because the salespersons are there to provide explanation while advertisement or sales promotion can't do the same way for customers.
I have a sister and she works in Uniqlo store as part job. Let me show you how Uniqlo manage workers like my sister. First, when she got a job, Uniqlo gave her a HANDBOOK which states what worker should be under working at Uniqlo store. The HANDBOOK indicates rules at the store. It starts from introducing Uniqlo company and the store to client relations minutely. Im the rule of before attending at work, how to put the name in the attendance book or the worker must confirm campaigns at the time. In the rule of words, the workers have codes about specific things such as honing to rest room, finding a shoplifter, and money changing between workers. In the rule of working process in the store, it show that they must to do morning assembly, resister, arrange of products, correspondence at fitting room, revision, stocking shelves, cleaning up the store. Moreover, it states about correspondence to claimers.
I usually heard that working in Uniqlo store is very hard but very good experience so if a person was working as worker at Uniqlo store, he or she can get a job easier than people who don't. According my sister's story, I think that's true. Even part of job worker is needed specialist as salesperson. Therefore, the Uniqlo worker can the sales relationships.

Ch.16 Advertising, public relations, and sales promotion

Uniqlo's CEO said that advertisement is one of important part for selling its products. Uniqlo uses mainly commercial on TV and build bard for advertisement. In addition, it enphasises new products and promotion on these advertisement. For example, on October 22, Uniqlo started a new commercial about launching "Urlra Right Down" for this winter. In commercial, it informed how much it's useful and warm, how to promote than last season, it shows variety color and designs, and variety wearing styles.






While Uniqlo uses commercial for advertisement, it also uses build bird. In New York, we can see a lot of its advertisement on the street or on the train, bus and station, or building bard in Times Square, or so on. In this type advertisements, Uniqlo uses famous actress, actter, and models, also it shows the price which is low and one of strong point in Uniqlo.

Ch.14 Marketing channels and Retailing

If a brand has similar products to other brands, people think the products are not interesting and fascinating. Therefore, in clothing market, it's very important to make difference from others. Uniqlo has an original marketing channel. It does by itself from developing raw materials and supply them to selling.  That means Uniqlo don't have other retail companies and intermediaries, make products by itself and sell them by itself. So Uniqlo's retails are original stores and online only. The consistence business condition like this is called SPA( Specialty store retailer of Private label Apparel). Now some clothing company has this SPA system but when Uniqlo started to have the system, it wasn't common. The reason why Uniqlo can remain in surplus in the recesssion is this SPA system. In addition, the reason why Uniqlo can supply products with low price is this SPA system.

Uniqlo has supplied unique and original designed clothing such as HEATTECK, AIRism, Fleece or Sweat. Also there are low price even their designs looks high cost. Because Uniqlo has SPA. They have own designers, planning, making and selling. 

These Uniqlo's fascinating aspects are all because of SPA systems.

The slogan " life wear " of Uniqlo needs to be able to make many kinds of products which means it needs variety. The SPA system makes possible to be able to cope with the task.



I found  another good aspect of SPA.
I went to the Uniqlo store which located at 5th Ave and 53st. First when I went into the store, the lady worker said hello to me and asked me she may help me and what I was looking for. I told her I was just looking, she said to me that when I needed to help, ask any workers there. Her service was really nice. Olny 2min ago, the another worker asked me whether I needed help, so I tried to ask him I want denims. Then he asked me which type of denims I want and I said skinny type to him, so he lead me to denim corner and show me all kinds of skinny denims with their details. It was very clear to understand and nice. In the end, I didn't get anything, but the worker smiled to me and said have a nice day to me. The customer service was really good and satisfied my mind. The workers looked they liked their job and are educated. I think the reason why the workers are good is SPA system. Because the system exists, Uniqlo can control all services to costumers. As a result, it connects the increase of the selling amount. The SPA system is a priory part of Uniqlo.