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.

Ch6, Costomers Decision Making

The costomers have consumer decision making process for each. As the managers must need to know  and understand the process which is consumer behavior.
I'll explain it as Uniqlo's costomer.
First of all, Need recognition. There are so many advertisement on the train and bus, the billboard, onTV as commercial  or on the internet screen. When seeing the ads, people read it, think about it and then have an impulse to purchase the product. Then they recognize it is their want. In addition, if people see the ads which shows the popular person uses the products or the price down or sale information like the picture, their impulses are stronger.





Secondly, Information search. After people recognized what is their want, they search more information in the internet or outside. If people use internet, they can see not only the product's home page but also criticism on another page and they know how much they want it though the searching.

Thirdly, Evaluation of Alternatives and purchase. After searching information about what they want, they are ready to buy the products so they go to the store and buy the products. In addition, Uniqlo has online shopping on its home page, so if people who don't have enough time to go to the store feel an impulse to buy the product through the process, they can get it on line. 

Finally, Postpurchase behavior. This is how people feel satisfied after purchasing. If the satisfaction is bigger, then the customer tend to continue buying the brand's product.

The customer behavior is very important for managers. 

Ch2. strategic planning for competitive advantage

Uniqlo is known as low cost clothing store. This is one of the strategic planning of Uniqlo.
Uniqlo has the coherent business model which does from planing and manufacture to saling by itself. That called SPA. A big strategy  is that Uniqlo has own factory. Therefore Uniqlo can sale their products to castmer with low cost. In addition, its clothing is high quality. The two strategy are a key to compete with another company in clothing market.
Let me introduce their high quality products.
First of all, as you know, it is HEATTECH. HEATTECH has some characteristics such as keeping warm, protecting from static electricity, made of stretch raw materials and antibacterial. It was the first product as clothing has these characteristic in clothing market. It iswell known as high quality clothing with low cost since it started to be sold in store in 2003. This revolutionary hit connected Uniqlo's amount sold. In fact, In 2011 HEATTECH sold more than 1 million. Uniqlo expanded share in clothing market.
Uniqlo publishes that its concept is "lifewear". That means Uniqlo's products fit all people in the world because these are basic clothing such as swears or fleeces. Therfore, HEATTECH is a representative product in Uniqlo now.








The other high quality product is "AIRism". It is an inner which take away sweat from boby and keep dry and also protect from getting a cold by sweat. It is also a hit items in Uniqlo.
Unilqlo competes with these high quality products with other companies in clothing market.

Ch5. Developing a global vision

Uniqlo, today, has 446 stores in the world and amount sold of stores in foreign country accounts.
30% of all amount sold. CEO Tadsshi Yanai said the goal is a apparel clothing company from Asia and the Uniqlo foreign project cross over the Uniqlo Japan project. The first global store is a store in SOHO, NY in 2006. It has passed 8 years since then, now the objective of amount stores in the world is 632 stores.
As the CEO Yanai said, the economic development area was in the United State but now the area is moving to in Asia and Asia has wealthy today. Uniqlo must get this historical turning point as a big chance to be global company. Uniqlo is Japanese company in Asia  so it has a advantage that it deeply knows about the situations of anyother Asia country comparing with the USA and Europe companies, H&M, ZARA and GAP. Using this advantage, Uniqlo can keep a predominance position than theses foreign clothing companies. Also he said that today the United State is the area which has a high expectation value because especially in west side there are a lot of Asian people and it's like small Asia market. Therefore, Uniqlo shouldn't miss the market and the objective of the amount of stores in west and east side in the USA is 100 stores for each side. 

As global marketing, Uniqlo is doing  collaboration with some artists. For example, it's saling some clothing designed byJil Sander and the clothing is know as fashionable collection.

Ch4. The marketing environment

Uniqlo is known as low price and high quality designed clothes for everybody, around from 5 to 50. This is true. This company was a small clothing store for only men as national brand in Yamagichi in 1984. Then they sold clothing as unisex with the name which is "Unique Clothing Warehouse". It got a superior factory in China and made a model of saling, SPA like GAP. SPA is special store retailer of private label apparel which means that make clothing with low cost so it can sake them with low price to customers. Uniqlo still now does from planning, production distribution to saling by itself so it can sale clothes which is high quality with low price. The low price is known as good for family financially and then its target is wide like from child to old people.
At same time, Uniqlo is competing with making own unique designed clothing in market. It results having many custamers. For example, HEATTECK is one of its unique items. It is the clothe keeping warm and getting sweat out so keeping fresh and warm, which is that other clothing company doesn't have. 



Also Uniqlo tries to be global clothing brand. It started from New York in 2006 when it opened a first store in another county. Then it continue opening stores in other country and now it has stores in not only Asia but also Europe and The united state.

These points are Uniqlo's marketing environment.