Text & addt’l photos by Johannes L. Chua A roadside store is miles different from the usual department store as it is literally located beside a road.  These roadside stores are used by brands all over the world not only to sell their products but also to increase brand visibility.  But for global clothing brand Uniqlo, its roadside store is unique as it is not only just beside any road – it is located in a local neighborhood area closer to customers’ homes, even employing people who are residing within the neighborhood. Uniqlo’s roadside store has been very successful in countries such as Taiwan, Korea and its home base in Japan.  Last March, Uniqlo’s roadside success formula was brought to Phatthanakan in East Bangkok, Thailand, that location becoming the first in Southeast Asia. With the opening of Uniqlo’s first roadside store in Southeast Asia, it is inevitable for the brand to open similar roadside-type stores in countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia, and soon, in the Philippines. In fact, in an exclusive interview, Satoshi Hatase, Uniqlo’s CEO in Southeast Asia and Australia, said that the country “is ripe and mature to have its own roadside store.” “I have been to the Philippines before and I saw Filipino families going on weekend trips and using cars to go on road trips,” said Hatase. “We can foresee a Uniqlo roadside store boosting the vitality of a local area along the highways by becoming a lifestyle and cultural hub – a place where the local community gathers. In addition to an ideal shopping experience, we work to engage the community through regular special events.” Uniqlo’s roadside store will not only be in an ideal location and provide a unique shopping experience, it will also have a large dedicated parking space for customers’ convenience and accessibility for all, especially families with elderly people or people with disabilities. “By improving convenience for customers, raising property values, and attracting new and sustainable businesses to the area, Uniqlo roadside stores help stimulate long-lasting stable economic prosperity for the community,” he said.

 Property overview

The Uniqlo team has been going around the Philippines in search for its first roadside store location.  In an interview with Takenori Motoda, the Group SVP of Fast Retailing Co., Ltd., there are various considerations to consider before Uniqlo totally decides to finally launch its Philippine roadside store. “We have investigated the market and we saw that it has a high potential. Like in Bangkok, the Philippines has a mature market ready for a roadside store. But before that, we have to check the location, the residential area, the demographics of the residents, if there are car owners, if there are schools nearby, among others,” said Motoda.  “The whole family should have an enjoyable shopping experience and that can only happen if they are in a safe environment, accessible location, and a stress-free atmosphere.” For its roadside store, Uniqlo seeks locations with good access and excellent visibility from main or residential roads in city centers and suburban residential areas. There are two sizes of the roadside stores – standard and large. Each has different scale and size requirements, dependent on specific circumstances such as block shape and road layout.  Standard size is 3,000 sqm (for the land) and 1,000 sqm (for the building), while parking space is for 50 plus cars.  For the large size, it should be 5,000 sqm (for the land) and 1,800 sqm (for the building). Parking space should fit 100 plus cars. In the Philippines, Uniqlo is also offering the same success model for its roadside stores in other countries. There are two possible options for store development: First, a land owner constructs a building to Uniqlo specifications and leases the building to Uniqlo. Second, the investor rents land from a property owner to construct a building based on Uniqlo specifications, then leases it to Uniqlo. As for the interior and exterior, the brand is noted for its simple and elegant design. The interior must be spacious and easy to move through, with neat product displays that make it simple for customers to access items. “Each store has its own spacious parking lot, with easy access from the neighborhood area. The main promise of a roadside store is simple, one-stop shopping for customers to enjoy in a quick and convenient trip close to home,” said Hatase. The first roadside store in Japan opened in 1985. Of the 800 stores opened since then, about half have been roadside stores. Soon, roadside stores opened in South Korea and Taiwan. Uniqlo’s first roadside store in Thailand is only the beginning of other planned roadside stores to open, hopefully very soon in the Philippines.