Mixed Feelings About UNIQLO’s Entrance to Canada

Yesterday, it was announced that UNIQLO, a Japanese fast fashion chain, will open its first Toronto stores in 2016. One location will be at the Eaton Centre, located on the Dundas side (i.e. opposite end to H&M), while the other will be part of Yorkdale Shopping Centre’s new wing. Many fashionistas I know are extremely excited about it, as am I. However, it also means that another massive international chain will be coming, and therefore, taking business away from smaller retailers, especially Canadian retailers. We have already lost Jacob and will be losing Smartset this year (of course, those two brands are also not exactly in the same category as UNIQLO which is more akin to Joe Fresh). Fast fashion is also often sweatshop-made, which not only means poor treatment of workers, but contributing to the destruction of the environment. Psychologically, because of the lower prices, there’s just going to be more of us becoming shopaholics.

A UNIQLO store in Melbourne, Australia

Still, UNIQLO prices are good and offers great basics which last. The pieces are also more “classic” opposed to, say, the trendier TopShop, while at the same time offering some funkier pieces (I saw a couple of licensed pieces featuring Andy Warhol’s work). And perhaps because the chain is from Japan, smaller sizes are offered, at least on the US website. Jeans, for example, start at 23″ rather than 24″ (in Hong Kong, the smallest size is 22″). However, the inseam lengths are still approximately 33″! I’m wondering if that’s typical, regardless of region as even the Asian stores report that length, despite having an overall shorter average height in those countries.

Finally, I think it’s good that UNIQLO is starting out small – two locations in two of the highest traffic malls in the city. This means that a Target-like mess is less likely to happen. I wish them the best and look forward to visiting both locations next year! Now if only Joe Fresh would open large H&M-like stores in Toronto like they have in the US. After all, it’s homegrown.

Image credit: TK Kurikawa / Shutterstock.com

About Cynthia Cheng Mintz

Cynthia Cheng Mintz is the founder and webitor-in-chief of this site and the petite-focused site, Shorty Stories. She has also written for other publications including the Toronto Star and has blogged for The Huffington Post. Her first novel, Aspirations, was published in 2007. Outside of writing, Cynthia researches and advises philanthropic ideas for family funds and foundations and also volunteers.