The Second Half Of UNIQLO'S Anti Epidemic: Brand Power + Commodity Strength + Service Power Is Immunity.

Predicament is also an opportunity, and the downturn is only a short term. In a special period, confidence is more important than gold.

Today, with the gradual easing of the epidemic and the resumption of business in all walks of life, the retail market also shows signs of recovery: the major shopping centers in the country are gradually resuming business, and the catering brand is partly open to the dining hall, and the clothing brand is also orderly resuming the normal operation of the stores. Among them, as the international clothing brand to enter the Chinese market, and to LifeWear suit the life brand concept to start the new cognition of Chinese consumers clothing, UNIQLO (demand area: 1800-2000 square meters, has been stationed in 446 shopping centers), also has 90% of the offline stores to join the normal business army.

During the post epidemic period, how did UNIQLO build the lifestyle of hundreds of millions of Chinese people through clothing to help them pursue better quality of life after the outbreak. In March 10th, UNIQLO launched the first cloud link during the epidemic, reflecting on what it was thinking, helping boost retail recovery after the epidemic.

01 brand power + commodity strength + service power is immunity.

Undoubtedly, the apparel industry, which has suffered severe setbacks during the epidemic, will face unprecedented challenges after the epidemic. Lack of effective passenger flow, inventory backlog, shortage of cash flow, rent pressure and staff costs will become the last straw to crush them.

But the crisis is also an opportunity to accelerate the upgrading of the industry. Such as the 1928 financial crisis in the United States, the birth of chain supermarkets; in 2003, "SARS" period, the birth of Alibaba, Jingdong and a number of online retail...... Today, this epidemic is also a "danger" hidden in the "machine", the industry or will generate new opportunities and changes.

In the view of UNIQLO, how to open healthy, dynamic, fashionable and comfortable lifestyle through clothing for consumers is a good opportunity to recover after the epidemic. Therefore, in the spring and summer of 2020, the new products were released, including spring and summer vitality series, designer collaboration series, Sport Utility Wear life sports series, UV Protection sunscreen clothing series, AIRism comfortable underwear series, and UT Series 6 major functional and aesthetic product lines.

Taking the Sport Utility Wear life sports series as an example, it covers the DRY-EX sweat absorption and dry speed series, Ultra Stretch high elastic series, UV Protection sunscreen clothing series, and AIRism comfortable underwear series. It integrates functions into comfortable fabrics and combines with fashion color and popular profile design to meet the various scenes of consumers' home activities during the epidemic period.

After all, while the epidemic directly affects the development of fashion industry, it is also accelerating the change of people's habits and lifestyles. The consumers who are forced to make their homes are eager for new life full of trust, health, fashion and comfort.

Of course, for the digital issue of the enterprises forced to speed up because of the epidemic situation, UNIQLO admitted that it began to dabble 6 or 7 years ago. From the early entry to Tmall, to the later research and development of digital store experience Museum and the flagship store of UNIQLO, all of them laid the foundation for the digital transformation of UNIQLO. At present, UNIQLO has formed a more complete digital system from brand communication, letters and social networking to the electronic business platform, with nearly 180 million of fans from the media.

This plays an important role in the development of UNIQLO in China. It is reported that during the epidemic, online sales of UNIQLO grew significantly. At the same time, based on the huge volume of self media, UNIQLO popularized the common sense of epidemic protection during the epidemic period, and also acted as a corporate social responsibility while shaping positive brand value.

However, in the process of digitalization and transformation of smart retailing, UNIQLO insists on "tool theory", that is, data and technology are tools, and services for talents are fundamental. Good marketing and high-end technology are always unsustainable. These are just ways to pass the brand value. Consumers can only understand the brand through good products and services, and realize the value of this brand.

02, always understand and meet consumer demand.

In fact, the series of things done by UNIQLO seems simple, but it can not be separated from the core meaning of its development -- always understanding and meeting the needs of consumers.

In UNIQLO's view, it is important to grasp the insights of consumers in the times or life. Taking the epidemic, UNIQLO decided to donate more than 7100 high value warm clothing with a total value of about 2 million 520 thousand yuan to the front-line health care workers in Wuhan for the first time. The reason is that UNIQLO transposition thought that they could not turn on the air conditioner because of the cold weather, and the demand for down coat and thermal underwear was extremely urgent.

In order to ensure that donated materials can be sent to the front-line medical staff at the first time, UNIQLO actively mobilizes the staff of the shops under the Wuhan line to pack and pack them in the stores and personally deliver them to the hospital.

For ordinary consumers, UNIQLO is also aware of some psychological or physiological needs before and after the outbreak. In the weeks leading up to the outbreak, because of the cold weather, consumers' demand for HEATTECH's warm underwear and down garments is very large. UNIQLO makes inventory as far as possible, so that consumers can buy them conveniently and timely through physical stores and e-commerce channels. Until now, as the epidemic has stabilized and the weather is getting warmer, consumers are beginning to create demand for many cultural and technological products. UNIQLO launched the 2020 spring and summer six series to better meet the current demand of consumers.

It is easy to see that in the process of satisfying consumers' shopping needs, UNIQLO actually has many products that are fixed or classic, but it has reached the original intention of UNIQLO. This is also consistent with the development concept of UNIQLO LifeWear. First of all, clothing must have aesthetic rationality, that is, everyone can master it; secondly, its quality, design and fabric are sustainable; third, it needs constant evolution and innovation based on life.

Perhaps, this is the UNIQLO model that looks like a simple behind others. They build the basic quality of the brand scientifically and close to life.

UNIQLO's popularity of "net red" has also come to the surface.

Some thoughts on the post 03 epidemic period

UNIQLO has also given its own views on the concerns of people after the epidemic:

1, after the epidemic, consumers will have higher requirements for brand, quality of goods and shopping environment.

In view of this, UNIQLO will focus on the whole brand and commodity innovation and construction in post infectious disease construction. As mentioned in the 2020 spring and summer new products, some homebound products will be innovating. At the same time, it will also think about the way of life, art, humanities and technology, and make a better experience through the display of store brand, merchandise and collocation. These attempts will also be implemented in the flagship store of UNIQLO.

2, about the retaliatory consumption after the epidemic, UNIQLO believes that the current consumers are more rational, and has gradually cultivated a more sober view of consumption.

Therefore, instead of waiting for the retaliatory consumption after the epidemic, UNIQLO thinks that it is necessary to return to the essence of clothing brand, provide good products and services to consumers, and enhance their brand power. It is firmly believed that only those brands and enterprises that can persist in good quality products can survive after the wind and rain. Brand power + commodity strength + service power are immunity.

3, for UNIQLO's annual expansion rate of 80 to 100 new stores in Greater China, the epidemic will have an impact on it, especially in the first half of the year, but this shop's target remains unchanged.

At present, UNIQLO has more than 700 stores in Greater China, and this year it will still sink at 80-100. Overall, UNIQLO is still very optimistic about the Chinese market. It believes that the second half of this year will be a good opportunity to have a greater investment in the Chinese market, including more active interaction with consumers.

4, finally, UNIQLO believes that after 1-2 months of precipitation, business practitioners may have some deeper thoughts on the basic regression. For UNIQLO, they have been thinking about how to do more precipitation, and then make further demands in terms of quality and sustainability, whether they are goods or services, or even lifestyle. Think about how to give more chances to life after the outbreak from the multiple angles of creativity, culture, technology and so on.