Japan’s global fashion label Uniqlo Thailand is launching an online store, offering its full Thai range.
The online store will help strengthen the firm’s “made for all” brand promise, says Uniqlo Thailand marketing and PR director/head of eCommerce Chanvit Khieonavavongsa.
After nearly five years in Thailand, Uniqlo has 32 branches in nine provinces, covering about a third of the population. The eCommerce channel will meet the demand from customers in areas where the brand does not have an outlet.
Exclusive to the Thai online store, Uniqlo will offer a cash-on-delivery service to cater for consumers who are still not confident about using credit cards for online transactions.
Chanvit says the online channel will not affect Uniqlo’s expansion in the kingdom.
“As long as there are good locations and customers, we will open a store,” he says. “There is no intention of reducing the opening of branches.”
Two branches opened in the first half of this year, with two more to follow in September, at Blu Port in Hua Hin and at the Mall Korat.
The online store is the brand’s 12th worldwide, with similar stores launching in Singapore in 2014 and in Malaysia last year.
Uniqlo has assigned Singapore Post to handle logistics and deliveries for online orders, with guaranteed nationwide delivery of between one and three days. There is no delivery fee, while the packaging charge is waived for orders of Bt1500 (US43) or more. Customers have 30 days to return their goods to the company if they are not satisfied.
Scheduled to go live on Friday, the online store will offer exclusive items and collections such as Kaws companion t-shirts and the HeatTech line of thermal wear. The mark the launch, there will also be special prices for popular items.
Chanvit says the eCommerce expansion is part of Uniqlo’s global target to have 30 per cent of its sales derived from the online channel by 2020. The brand has already built awareness online in Thailand through Line, where it has 12 million subscribers, and Facebook, where it has had more than 1 million likes. Further awareness will be built through an integrated marketing communication plan across offline and online channels nationwide.
