Why Uniqlo decided not to close its stores in Russia

In Russia, the 50 Uniqlo stores remain open.

Tadashi Yanai, the president and founder of the Japanese group Fast Retailing, parent of Uniqlo, took a decision against the trend of fashion brands which announce en masse the suspension of their activity on the spot.

“Clothes are basic necessities.

Russian citizens have as much right to live as we do,” he said in an interview with the

newspaper on March 7.

However, Uniqlo did not remain without reaction to the war in Ukraine.

Contacted by

, the brand recalls that from March 4, it set up the delivery of 200,000 hot items to Ukraine.

In parallel, a donation of 10 million dollars was also made to the United Nations High Commissioner “to support the displaced Ukrainians”.

Affirming his pacifism, Tadashi Yanai concludes: “There should be no war.

Everyone should oppose it.”

Fashion is deserting Russia

In the moments after the start of the war in Ukraine, in the middle of Paris Fashion Week, fashion was slow to speak up.

Amazement then gave way to action and donations and initiatives multiplied.

Secondly, many brands have taken the decision to temporarily close their points of sale on Russian soil, from the luxury brands of the LVMH, Kering, Chanel, Hermès groups, to those of the more accessible H&M and Inditex groups ( Zara).

With its decision, Uniqlo is an exception.