Record results for Fast Retailing and Uniqlo, Owned by Japan’s Richest Man

Fast Retailing, the Japanese group behind the Uniqlo brand, has posted record financial results for the first nine months of the 2026 financial year, driven by strong international demand and sustained momentum across all its global operations. The company has also revised its full-year earnings forecast upwards, reflecting its confidence in sustainable growth despite challenges related to exchange rates.

Revenue for the nine months ended 31 May rose by 17.1 per cent compared with the same period last year, reaching 3,070 billion yen (15.34 billion Swiss francs), whilst operating profit soared by nearly 30 per cent to a record 730 billion yen (3.64 billion Swiss francs), according to forecasts for the full financial year.

Uniqlo International remained the best-performing division, with turnover up 25.9 per cent and operating profit rising sharply by 45.4 per cent. Despite these encouraging results, management warned that a weaker Japanese yen could weigh on results for the final quarter by increasing import costs. The company also cited exceptionally high temperatures in Europe and broader geopolitical disruptions affecting global shipping as potential risks, although these have so far had only a limited impact on its operations.

The day after these forecasts were announced, the powerful French trade union CFDT called on Uniqlo shop staff to go on strike across France on Saturday 11 July 2026. “The brand is doing very, very well, but the staff have had enough; they are exhausted,” lamented Sabrina Bareche, the CFDT representative at Uniqlo, speaking to France Inter. The union has condemned the deterioration in working conditions, high staff turnover and toxic management, and is calling for robust measures on pay and safety, as well as a heatwave response plan.

Behind the success story of Uniqlo – a contraction of the words ‘Unique clothing’ – lies a billionaire whose fortune stands at 48 billion Swiss francs. Japan’s richest man, Tadashi Yanai, is the owner of this empire, which was founded in the early 1980s. The brand has also been propelled onto the international stage thanks to two high-profile ambassadors: tennis player Roger Federer, whose partnership began in 2018 and is estimated to be worth 300 million over a 10-year period, and actress Cate Blanchett, who has been an ambassador since 2025. Today, Uniqlo’s parent company, Fast Retailing, is the third-largest clothing company in the world, behind the Spanish group Inditex (Zara) and the Swedish firm H&M.

The Japanese giant is not only active in the fast fashion sector; it also operates in the high-end and affordable luxury segments. Several contemporary brands form part of the group, including Helmut Lang, the New York-based brand Theory, and the French brand Comptoir des Cotonniers.

Fast Retailing now forecasts that its annual turnover will reach 3,970 billion yen (19.84 billion Swiss francs) and that its operating profit will amount to 730 billion yen (3.64 billion Swiss francs), marking the third upward revision to its annual forecasts. These results reinforce the company’s position as one of the world’s fastest-growing ready-to-wear retailers, with international markets increasingly driving this growth as the Uniqlo brand expands its global presence.