GU-Japan

[softgrey]

Does anyone have any info on this?
I found a link to it on the Uniqlo Japan site...
are they connected? perhaps the same way h&m and Cos are connected?

@runner do you have any info?

GU(ジーユー) | YOUR FREEDOM 自分を新しくする自由を。

 

[softgrey]

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[runner]

yes uniqlo is like gu's big sister/brother.

gu used to be just a much more inexpensive version of uniqlo. maybe until around 2011.
but, with the rise of the quality and the image of uniqlo (heattech, airism, jil sander, etc), gu could be now where uniqlo had been.

 

[softgrey]

yes uniqlo is like gu's big sister/brother.

gu used to be just a much more inexpensive version of uniqlo. maybe until around 2011.
but, with the rise of the quality and the image of uniqlo (heattech, airism, jil sander, etc), gu could be now where uniqlo had been.

I see...
thank you for explaining, runner...
that makes sense...

is it as popular as Uniqlo?
what kind of people shop there? what age? is it the kind of thing you might find more in the suburbs? I can't quite figure out who their target market is which may mean it's just a very broad sort of mass market approach...
some things like the denim shorts and bomber jacket seem quite youthful...
while the button front skirts seem much more mature and sophisticated...

it puzzles me a bit...

 

[runner]

10 years ago GU could have been what was found more in the suburbs and bought by mothers and daughters. and today those girls grew and may wear suits.
but I think the relation of GU and uniqlo is now similar to that of parco and seibu. even though parco is supposed to be for younger audience and seibu is more universally staged, in reality they overlap in many ways. like that, although in the above post I spoke of technology and designers in regard to uniqlo, you'd see GU's own heattech kind of items and kim jones collabo stuff, etc sold in the same area as uniqlo.

anyway just checked around and it seems that uniqlo is for everyone, from baby to grandma and grandpa, while GU is mainly for women from students to early thirties (of course GU has mens stuff too ).

basically
uniqlo more for teiban
GU more for trends

luxury for minimum price　(probably no cashmere at GU)
fashion for minimum price

more color options more sizes
less color options less sizes

delivered in the box
delivered in the bag



GU is not as popular as uniqlo over here at least. for example GU is unfamiliar to my father who knows uniqlo well. in fact GU is not as big, scale-wise.
also I remember when the business/economic TV programe named wbs featured GU 3,4 years ago the reporter said that in some of the asian markets GU was known more than uniqlo.

 

[softgrey]

thank you @runner

that was an excellent explanation!
I can understand and see what you mean precisely...

merci beaucoup!

 

[runner]

you're welcome softgrey

their current TV commercial at the bottom of the page, if you are interested
may see what they are aiming at

www.gu-japan.com/jp/feature/sweat/women/pc/

 

[softgrey]

thanks runner~
that's great!

it's exactly what I think the GAP should be doing here in the US...
suweto!

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