Japanese clothing brand Uniqlo will open in Westfield’s Garden State Plaza, one of the top shopping malls in New Jersey.

The new Uniqlo store will be the fourth retail location for the company in the US – and its only shopping mall location in the country. Existing US locations include Uniqlo Soho, which opened in 2006, followed by Uniqlo 5th Avenue and Uniqlo 34th Street, which both opened in the Fall of 2011.

Fast Retailing chairman, president and CEO Tadashi Yanai said opening in the largest shopping mall in New Jersey is an exciting cornerstone in the company’s continued US expansion.

“We look forward to partnering with the community to bring the modern Uniqlo aesthetic with high quality, affordable clothing to northern New Jersey. I hope to continue to bring the Uniqlo ‘Made For All’ philosophy and style to more locations throughout the US in the near future.”

The Uniqlo in Westfield Garden State Plaza will be the brand’s second foray into New Jersey, the first being back in 2005, when the brand was still unknown in the US.

“Following the immense success of the first New York location, we revised our strategy for the US market and decided to close the three small New Jersey locations to launch large scale flagship stores in targeted areas of Manhattan. The three popular Uniqlo Manhattan locations have built a dedicated fan base in the New York tri-state area making it the perfect time to re-launch the brand’s innovative modern style in shopping malls across the US,” said Uniqlo US CEO Shin Odake.

The new store in Westfield Garden State Plaza will occupy just over 43,000 sqft with a separate dedicated entrance and a prominent façade. It will serve as the prototype for the company’s future shopping mall locations in the US.

The Uniqlo San Francisco store is scheduled to open in the Fall of 2012.

GB