Uniqlo defends decision to stay open in Russia

I suspect will see a reversal and a bow after some backlash.

The Russian people aren’t walking around naked. They can get along for a while without buying more plastic clothes from China.

The greed is just oozing out of his comment.

Time to boycott Uniqlo. This isn't going to end well for them.

the whole idea is to hurt the Russian people so they will rise up and protest and put pressure on Putin to stop his warmongering. 

The problem is that by sanctions and all of the restrictions democratic countries making suffer only people, who never supported Putin and protested all the time.

I am Russian and i can see, how mood is changing in Russian SNS. Even people who have will to protest and change something, people, who hate Putin and fighting against the war starting to hate countries that use sanctions.

Unfortunately, you don’t know the situation in Russia. It’s very easy to stay in the safe country, where your rights are respected, and trying to make people in Russia go out and being raped, hurt or killed.

People are protesting every day, but a lot of them having families, kids or spouses, parents and other relatives. Will you risk not just your own life, but also your close people’s in such situation? I highly doubt it.

Closed airspace didn’t leave them any opportunity to at least hide their relatives somewhere.

I hope none of you will experience the same feelings as we do. Being punished by our government for supporting Ukraine, being punished by the whole world for living in Russia.

My relatives living in Ukraine and i can’t reach them from the start of the invasion. It’s my personal tragedy.

We didn’t want this war. We didn’t elect Putin. We protested and were beaten up by police all the time and nobody helped us, but we keep going on the streets, no matter what. What else do you want from us? To die?

Our thoughts are with Ukrainian people.

The people of Russia have the same right to live as we do,

Most foreign companies there could make that that argument. And if they did, Putin and the Russian war machine would be relieved of much of the isolation and pain they're starting to feel.

I’m never shopping there again.

Tadashi Yanai, president of Uniqlo operator Fast Retailing, said the conflict should not deprive people in Russia of clothing, a basic human need.

This is such self interested BS it makes me sick to read it. Access to fast fashion is not a “basic human need” - no Russian is going to go unclothed because they can’t shop at Uniqlo. The Ukrainians are the ones who are being deprived of their basic human needs.

I’m not surprised. Uniqlo adamantly defends its decision to continue buying cotton and other materials made by using Uyghur slave labor from China.

Shame on them.

"Clothing is a necessity of life. The people of Russia have the same right to live as we do," Yanai added.

Naw, it's the money. I imagine China will be doing all kinds of violations and run arounds of the Russian boycotts.

Yet governments, and the corporations that control them, will never dream of extending the boycott to China's markets as well.

I am totally horrified at Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and have decided to immediately boycott Uniqlo for deciding to continue keeping their outlets in Russia open. I guess they want to take finacial advantage as most clothes outlets from the West have already closed theirs in Russia.

...in addition to supporting skave labour in Xinjiang, ahhhh the ethics of a modern global corporate player. Time for a boycott.

Tadashi Yanai, president of Uniqlo operator Fast Retailing, said the conflict should not deprive people in Russia of clothing, a basic human need.

I agree with this statement. However, as someone has already mentioned in an earlier comment, Uniqlo is not the only supplier of clothing for Russia nor are they even close to being the main supplier. What did Russia do before Uniqlo branched out into Russia?!?

For argument sake, lets say that Uniqlo was a major supplier of clothing (i.e., worker or labor clothing), by boycotting your services you are applying pressure to the Russian Government (Putin) for their actions and as a result they (the people of Russia) are suffering.

But since Uniqlo is not that critical of a resource to Russia (aside from perhaps additional revenue for sales?) a boycott will have little to no impact except to send a message to Putin that Uniqlo is standing alongside the other Countries that are opposed to this conflict.

I've always tried to look for a positive in everything and I really can't find one in Tadashi's statement other than fear of losing business if he were to boycott - in other words if he did boycott Russia then there is the risk that he may be ordered to remove ALL Uniqlo stores from Russia. I'm sure that would hit his bottom line but by not boycotting they run the risk of consumers boycotting Uniqlo which would be worse if you ask me.

I hope that he rethinks his decision but it's his company which is a shame because I really do like Uniqlo products and I may end up not shopping at Uniqlo as a result. I know I'm just one customer but that's how I feel.

"Clothing is a necessity of life. The people of Russia have the same right to live as we do," Yanai added.

Basic necessity for life: food, water, and shelter. Clothing? Sure, if you don't already have clothes. Most mutual aid will provide for clothing under donations so there is no need to go and purchase clothes for the sake of fashion in desperate times.

I was actually just in a packed Uniqlo store. Seems that the news hasn't affected sales at all with local shoppers.

letsberealistic

If you care so much about providing people with clothing how about sending a few ships of free Uniqlo clothing to Ukrainians?

UNIQLO is sending free 200,000 clothing to Ukraine as well as $10 million donation.

I guess Uniqlo will come under big pressure because of their decision and sooner or later it will close their shops in Russia.

Remember when Uniqlo was proudly displaying that they use Xinjiang cotton while other companies stopped.

Uniqlo loves humanitarian crisis.

Business is business. If you're gonna be boycotting every company that takes questionable decisions that go against your "morals," you'll be boycotting almost every single shop and product.

Yeah, that is why I don’t boycott businesses for just any decision they make which I disagree with. Only the serious ones, like siding with a fascist dictator as his armies storm across Europe, destroying cities and murdering civilians along the way, reach the level that makes me really turn on a business.

I don't for a second think Uniqlo is doing this out of some great humantarian concern for the Russian people having clothes, they are a business and think it would be profitable. Especially with so many competitors leaving the market. On the other hand, every company boycotting Russia also just thinks the virtue signaling would improve their bottom line.

Regardless, I don't think depriving Russian people of any products is helping anyone and don't particularly begrudge any company choosing to stay. Russian people not having boxers or netflix is not going to be the driving force behind ending the war.

It does show the importance of countries developing their own alternatives wherever possible though, something that China seems to have prepared for much earlier on.

@socrateos

UNIQLO is sending free 200,000 clothing to Ukraine as well as $10 million donation.

How much would he make continuing to do business compared to the 10 million? What about how many returns or reject items doe a Uniqlo receive in a year?

Isn't that the equivalent of a small tax bill.

He is not making much of a sacrifice with that donation and contribution.

It is pure greed!

Companies that pulled out only did so due to the swift sanction don’t for a minute think they actually care about the Ukrainian people. It s all about da money ….

Russia are out of everything until they are out of Ukraine. The more pressure, the sooner the Russians leave, Putin gets embalmed and we go back to normal

You act like Putin cares about the everyday ordinary Russian citizen that didn't even democratically vote him in. How are sanctions working out for North Korea? How are they working out for China? Leaders continue to live it up and people are helpless unless they wise up and leave.

Like Putin they just think they are too big to fail.

I don't buy their cloths anyway. but I will advise everybody I know that Uniqlo supports the war in the Ukraine. and that money spent there may go towards paying tax's in Russia which is used to supply weapons and ammo to kill the people of Ukraine.

Uniqlo is just a tacky company.

Uniqlo is just a cute name for PЯOFITZ AЯE UZ!

One should keep in mind that a lot of the companies withdrawing from Russia are doing so only because of the sanctions. Without SWIFT they are unable to move their profits out of Russia. So don't be fooled by their virtue signalling.

@ Matthew Smith: In the reply below, I will employ the pronoun "you" with the same valence as the pronoun "we" at the end of your post.

[...] by sanctions and all of the restrictions democratic countries making suffer only people, who never supported Putin and protested all the time.

[...] mood is changing in Russian SNS. Even people who have will to protest and change something, people, who hate Putin and fighting against the war starting to hate countries that use sanctions.

Russians' hate is misdirected: they should hate themselves for a long history of servitude to "strong" characters.

Unfortunately, you don’t know the situation in Russia. It’s very easy to stay in the safe country, where your rights are respected, and trying to make people in Russia go out and being raped, hurt or killed.

Russia does not exist in a communication vaccum: westerners - and the whole world now - know the situation first hand, and seem to be better informed than the Russians themselves. Putin's cloack of lies is not effective here. And who is doing the raping, hurting, or killing of Russians who go out? Isn't it other Russians?

People are protesting every day, but a lot of them having families, kids or spouses, parents and other relatives. Will you risk not just your own life, but also your close people’s in such situation? I highly doubt it.

Closed airspace didn’t leave them any opportunity to at least hide their relatives somewhere.

Ask the Ukrainians: they are doing the exact thing that you deem impossible to do in your own country and for your own future. Then go back in time and ask all the other countries that basked in the glorious Soviet occupation or sphere of control. I come from one of them, and I am old enough to remember when my people put everything on the line, and not half-heartedly, to overthrow that corrupt government and its brutal dictatorship.

I hope none of you will experience the same feelings as we do. Being punished by our government for supporting Ukraine, being punished by the whole world for living in Russia.

The whole world is now putting "soft" pressure on the agents of change - the Russians themselves - to act and and implement change. The people still differentiate between government and population, but if the world happens to veer into a hot nuclear war, there will be no mercy and no forgiveness left to impart.

My relatives living in Ukraine and i can’t reach them from the start of the invasion. It’s my personal tragedy.

My sister-in-law is a Russian from Moscow expat, with living relatives in Ukraine. This may have been unnecessary to comment upon, but I wanted you to know that your tragedy is not singular.

We didn’t want this war. We didn’t elect Putin. We protested and were beaten up by police all the time and nobody helped us, but we keep going on the streets, no matter what. What else do you want from us? To die?

Yes. Who else do you want to do it for you? Aren't Ukrainians dying enough? Die for your humanity, for the right to live free on your land, for your nation to have a future and not be another North Korea. Russians, just like people everywhere are good; and still, evil happens. Russians are good people, but are they beaten into submission? By whom? And who exactly is doing the killing at home and abroad? Who is giving orders, and who is following them? Ostracize those members in your society! Turn your backs on everyone who willingly, cowardly, or by brainwashing supports or condones this sorry state of affairs!

Our thoughts are with Ukrainian people.

Ours are with them, too, and with the rest of the innocents finding themselves caught in the crossfire. But our support, financial and material, is with them as well. Not a cent for the enablers of this war!

I like Uniqlo, and I'll continue to shop there....

Unless you want to delude yourself as to your place in society, this is not about whether you like Uniqlo or not, this is about a social license to operate. Uniqlo support slave labour, it now supports warfare of the worst kind. But sure go ahead and stand with the corporate values Uniqlo so openly display.

pathetic

This really great for PR for certain companies that have suspended trade to look like they have a social conscience LOL.

""Tadashi Yanai, president of Uniqlo operator Fast Retailing, said the conflict should not deprive people in Russia of clothing, a basic human need.""

Your clothing are NOT a human need Mr. Yanai but you Sales$$$ are your needs. your are putting $$$ ahead of any human neesd which is Freedom and Democracy.

""BOYCOTT uniqlo.

I am stopping and I will encourage and advise others to do the same.

Tadashi Yanai, president of Uniqlo operator Fast Retailing, said the conflict should not deprive people in Russia of clothing, a basic human need.

I think what this should have said is, "Tadashi Yanai, president of Uniqlo operator Fast Retailing, said the conflict should not deprive a greedy company from taking advantage of a war to make a few extra bucks, a basic inhumane need."

So people actually think that H&M Zara Apple ect not trading in Russia will make any sort difference to Putin.

They are a private business. They can trade with whoever they want.

They’ve got clothing. Oni-Clo has decide it is their humanitarian duty to provide fashion absent competitors. Repulsive.

(Oni)

When looking at some video of destroyed Ukrainian cities, I definately saw some blown out Uniqulos in the background, what about the Ukrainian's right live? After seeing videos of your blown out stores I would of Figured Uniqulo would of seen the light.

I like Uniqlo clothing - affordable and yet long-lasting. I am not about to boycott them. H&M can do what they like. They were caught up in the lies about Xinjiang and the stupid boycott of Xinjiang cotton (which incidentally made it very hard for Uighurs to get jobs). As a result, very very few people in China now shop in H&M.

Why is anyone surprised?

Money and profits before people, always in Japanese companies, no matter where they are lactated.

BOYCOTT UNIGLO

Business is business. If you're gonna be boycotting every company that takes questionable decisions that go against your "morals," you'll be boycotting almost every single shop and product.

OK, you sell clothes in Russia, and give all the Russian profits to Ukraine to help fight Russia. How about that?

I’ve lost faith in Coca Cola,McDonald’s and now Uniqlo. All companies need to boycott Russia!

Don't have faith in any company to begin with, at least any large scale publicly traded one. They only care about your wallet.

Any position a company takes is always calculated to maximize profits. That includes pulling products from a market or making statements about how they do/do not support social issues like LGBT rights etc.

I might finally become a Zara and H&M shopper.

Obviously, without Uniqlo, 150 million Russians would be running around naked.

Macdonalds and other US food chains

Can only close outlets they own and run directly. Franchise business is privately owned and though they may not be able to source official company products they can and would use local substitutes and continue to operate. They may even change signage for the duration.

Uniqio is not helping the Ukrainians who need it, they help the Russians who dont need it. Very bad PR from this stunt. it will cost them in the long run.

Oddly enough, Uniqlo stores are closed in Ukraine!

What is the company doing about the millions of ‘deprived’ Ukrainians?

Stupid argument and 言い訳...wont buy anymore at uniqlo.

Boycott them, too! Simple as that!

What do they say about "nails "in Japan?

Good on Uniqlo for not jumping on the manipulation bandwagon. Brand leaving Russia isn't going to make ordinary citizens 'rise up and protest', it'll just make things worse for brands' revenue and organisation.

The Russian people aren’t walking around naked. They can get along for a while without buying more plastic clothes from China.

Exactly! What a ridiculous argument. I guess Uniqlo's logo is red for a reason ;)

How to run a company: This is horrific. We are pulling out.

How not to run a company: We aren't pulling out. Huge backlash. We are pulling out after all, having tarnished our brand and trashed our reputation. Resignations. Donations. Apologies. Bowing. etc.

Russia are out of everything until they are out of Ukraine. The more pressure, the sooner the Russians leave, Putin gets embalmed and we go back to normal. And we will go back to normal, because that is how sanctions work. You apply them until they work, and then you remove them.

Ruble is already a junk while most materials and manufacturaring lines are outside Russia, subject to int'l trade. How could they possibly maintain profits? Or is that a reason to stay there, a sunk cost by relocation is too big and damaging? CEO Yanai may be morally as well as strategically mistaken.

Well,

Why should they leave

and we see that Germany and some other countries keep buying Russian oil and gaz

Business is business? Well, if you are Uniqlo I guess that is correct. However for businesses with a moral compass and who care about the people of The Ukraine, businesses can be stopped from doing business. I will boycott Uniqlo because businesses is not business during war.

Unfortunately by trying to avoid World War III, the US and other countries cannot get involved by bombing Russian tanks etc. The only way to try to stop the war, which is Putin‘s doing, is by trying to crush the Russian economy, inflicting pain that way on the Russian public so that they will rise up and get rid of Putin themselves.

This “harm” that Russians will feel is hardly anything compared to the harm that Ukrainians and the people living in Ukraine are feeling at the moment.

Companies like Uniqlo, McDonald’s and Coca-Cola need to get on board ASAP

Boycott-No discussion.

Uniqlo defends decision to stay open in Russia

Glad to some companies not following the brainwashed campaign.

It's finally a company with attitude. I applaud her decision. During the Iraqi invasion of the US, they didn't shut down their US branch either, right?

I don't shop at uniqlo anyway... I will need to find a different way to boycott their products!

I’ve lost faith in Coca Cola,McDonald’s and now Uniqlo. All companies need to boycott Russia!

Surprise, surprise: a Japanese company doesn't care about human rights.

I don't think the athletes sponsored by them will take too kindly to that.

Didn't see people boycotting McDonalds or KFC when America ( & it's allies )invaded Iraq ( illegally).

To all Uniqlo customers (and those considering it) - spend your money elsewhere. Outside Russia, you have dozens if not hundreds of alternatives for clothing.

Well done Uniqlo !!..

A greedy company selling cheap clothes.

It's ok to be sad...

I like Uniqlo, and I'll continue to shop there....

Well, even Mac Donald is staying open there anyway. So i can hardly see the big issue with selling clothes to the citizens. People need to get over it.

https://twitter.com/foxnews/status/1500995966379474952?s=21

They might pull out.

Well, even Mac Donald is staying open there anyway. So i can hardly see the big issue with selling clothes to the citizens. People need to get over it.