Saving the earth, one Uniqlo bra top at a time

Uniqlo's line of bra tops are so popular worldwide and in Singapore that the Japanese retailer has designated it "mainstay" status in its fight to be more sustainable.

- Alyssa Woo

Mainstay products are styles that are either stocked year-round in stores or return on a seasonal basis, such as the Pufftech jacket, which is sold during winter. Both the jacket and bra tops are currently available at Uniqlo stores here.

The popularity of such styles is an indication for Fast Retailing, Uniqlo's parent company, to make more of these products and less of others, thereby reducing the amount of unsold clothing. There were more than 50 styles identified globally as mainstay products in 2024, three times more than in 2017.

By expanding the number of mainstay products, Fast Retailing can reduce unnecessary styles offered and focus on those that customers really need, said Mr Dai Tanaka, group executive officer of Fast Retailing. He was speaking at the company's annual "LifeWear = a New Industry" briefing in Tokyo on Nov 13, where he covered the group's sustainability progress and initiatives.

Information is key at Fast Retailing. A total of 31.4 million inputs of feedback were collected worldwide in the company's financial year that ended August 2024, said Mr Tanaka. The information is channeled into the Management Cockpit, its companywide platform, in real time, which enables management to respond quickly and make changes in operations if needed.

The weather is also taken into account. The longer summers and warmer winters due to climate change have resulted in Fast Retailing changing its approach to products, said Mr Tanaka. For instance, T-shirts, sweatshirts and jeans are now sold year-round in Uniqlo stores in Japan.