[5][6][7] On 2 June 1984, it opened a unisex casual wear store in Fukuro-machi, Naka-ku, Hiroshima, under the name "Unique Clothing Warehouse".

Tadashi Yanai, the head of the family retail conglomerate, liked the sound of the error and shortened the name to "Uniqlo" across Japan.

[10][11] In September 1991, the name of the company was changed from "Ogori Shōji" to "Fast Retailing", and by April 1994, there were over 100 Uniqlo stores operating throughout Japan.

[15] In November 1998, it opened their first urban Uniqlo store in Tokyo's Harajuku district, and outlets soon spread to major cities throughout Japan.

[citation needed] In 2001, sales turnover and gross profit reached a peak, with over 500 retail stores in Japan.

[citation needed] On 1 November 2005, Fast Retailing transferred the business related to clothing manufacturing and retailing to Sun Road Co., Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary that operated golf courses through a company split (absorption-type split), and became a holding company.

On the same day, Sun Road changed its name to Uniqlo Co., Ltd. 2005 saw more overseas expansion, with stores opening in the United States (New York City), Hong Kong (Tsim Sha Tsui) and South Korea (Seoul), their South Korean expansion being part of a joint venture with Lotte.

[17] On 2 September 2009, Fast Retailing announced that the company would target annual group sales of 5 trillion yen (approx.

[23] In May 2011, the magazine Shukan Bunshun published a story alleging that Uniqlo had forced employees at its stores and factories in China to work long hours for little pay.

Chinese police arrested at least five people in connection with the incident, allegedly including the couple and three other disseminators of the video, for having "severely violated socialist core values".

[26] The New York Times noted that the store's exterior became a popular venue for people to gather and take pictures in sexual poses.

[37] On 4 November 2010, Uniqlo opened its first store in Malaysia in Fahrenheit 88, located in Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur.

[19] Uniqlo (유니클로) generated more than 2 billion won ($1.7 million) in one day's sales on 11 November 2011 when it opened Asia's largest flagship store in central Seoul.

[19] In September 2005, Uniqlo opened its first United States store in the Menlo Park Mall located in Edison, New Jersey.

[51] In November 2006, Uniqlo opened its first global flagship store in the SoHo fashion district of Manhattan, New York City.

[19] On 6 December 2019, Uniqlo opened its first store in Vietnam in District 1, the center of Ho Chi Minh City.

[63][64] In November 2015, investigations into the measures Uniqlo introduced in the wake of the January 2015 revelations found that the remedies had been only partially successful, with significant violations continuing to occur.

[65][66] In October 2016, the report This Way to Dystopia: Exposing UNIQLO's Abuse of Chinese Garment Workers[67] by SACOM and War on Want claimed that "excessive overtime, low pay, dangerous working conditions and oppressive management" were still common in Uniqlo factories in China and Cambodia.

In 2019, a number of Australian workers reported that bullying and harassment is rife, there were "shouting rooms", and a toxic work culture.

[70][71][72][73] In January 2021, Uniqlo shirts were blocked at the US border over concerns of violations related to a ban on cotton products produced in Xinjiang due to reports of forced labour.

[74] At the onset of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Fast Retailing decided to remain in Russia, saying that clothing is a "necessity of life".