Mitsukoshi Ltd. said Thursday that its Yokohama store will rent out space for the first time to Uniqlo, a low-key brand known for inexpensive and trendy casual clothing -- in a bid to attract younger customers.
Uniqlo is gaining a reputation as a brand of affordable high-quality clothing with low to no emphasis on logos, and it is hoped the new outlet will help revive the fortunes of the Yokohama store, Mitsukoshi officials said.
The store has suffered from sluggish sales and is undergoing renovation on all floors. The renovation will be completed in September.
Yamaguchi Prefecture-based Fast Retailing Co., the operator of the Uniqlo brand, is expanding Uniqlo stores in Japan and overseas, and will have the entire second floor of the Yokohama store.
Otsuka Kagu Ltd., a furniture retailer, will rent out the fifth to eighth floors of the store for showrooms.
Boots MC, the Japanese branch of the British cosmetics and pharmaceutical retailer, will have the entire first floor.
The move marks a departure from Mitsukoshi's development of a "prestigious" image to its becoming a large-scale "specialist" store, industry sources said.