Stores Like Uniqlo
Renée Bu
Table of Contents
Whether you love to shop or only make the trip for the essentials, Uniqlo, and stores like Uniqlo, should be on your radar.
Uniqlo is a Japanese casualwear brand that has collected a mass following since being founded in Japan in 1974.
What started as a single storefront for high quality and performance-enhanced styles has now expanded to over 1,000 stores all over the world with 500 locations in its home country of Japan.
In the beginning, Uniqlo was a menswear brand named Men’s Shop OS. Upon opening a unisex casual wear destination in Fukuro-machi, Japan, the brand name was changed to Unique Clothing Warehouse.
In 1988, as the brand began to pick up steam, it was registered in Hong Kong and when someone misread the C in clothing as Q, the brand name Uniqlo was born.
Uniqlo is led by its charismatic owner Tadashi Yanai, who has made headlines for his unique approach to business and fashion.
While fashion brands scramble to stay on top of current trends, Yanai encourages a clear vision towards casual pieces that are designed to last.
He has been reported to be a hands-on leader who made the decision early on to conduct all Uniqlo business in English. This small but highly beneficial change is credited as one of the main reasons this brand has international success.
Although Uniqlo is an utterly unique brand, there is still a slew of other stores like Uniqlo. And while the Japanese label does well at what it does, it doesn’t hurt to broaden your shopping horizons.
So, whether you’re a longtime fan of Uniqlo, or dying to know what all the hype is about, stick around and read this guide to learn more about stores like Uniqlo and:
- Cheap clothing websites
- Stores similar to Uniqlo
- Men clothing websites and brands
- Stores most like Uniqlo
- Retailers with the best quality apparel
Whether you’ve been looking to update your wardrobe on a dime or widen your knowledge of the retail market, this guide was written just for you. And when you finally reach the end, you’ll know all about Uniqlo and stores like Uniqlo.
How We Chose The Best Stores Like Uniqlo
Uniqlo similar brands possess a common theme that separates them from the ready-to-wear market. This theme is price.
Retail products in stores like Uniqlo are priced within a wide range. making these stores a prime choice for multiple budgets. However, Uniqlo is known to approach pricing differently than its competitors.
Take for instance H&M, one of the stores like Uniqlo. A brand that also offers casualwear, H&M offers a wide price range starting below $10 and reaching as high as $500.
Uniqlo also starts its minimum price range below $10, but their products usually max at $200. This price range does broaden when Uniqlo drops a high-end designer collab which H&M offers as well.
Quality, in addition to affordability, is another one of Uniqlo’s winning characteristics. The brand specializes in knitwear with almost 70% of its sweaters being made of natural fabrics.
In comparison to its fast-fashion competitors, Uniqlo utilizes far less polyester in its designs. This is something that sets them apart, since polyester is a popular material amongst brands like this.
This brand also uses innovative fabrics. Uniqlo’s own HeatTech fabric is one of the brand’s most popular innovations.
Designed with the aid of a material science firm, Uniqlo’s HeatTech fabric turns moisture into heat. The fine fiber is outfitted with air pockets that then retains the heat.
It’s a comfortable and beneficial fabric that Uniqlo designers use to craft styles that are not only warm and functional, but also more sleek and chic than your usual winter wear.
Since its initial launch, the HeartTech fabric has only improved in design. A wildly impressive feat considering that in 2003, Uniqlo sold over 1.5 million HeartTech items.
Getting innovative with fabrication and using high-quality materials enhances the cachet of the brand, and makes the garments more long-lasting.
This is something very important for the brand and their reputation. The idea is to keep coming back to Uniqlo because you want to, not because your clothes have fallen apart in the wash and now you have to.
The selection at Uniqlo, and most stores like Uniqlo, is very vast. Uniqlo in particular carries clothing for men, women, children, and even infants.
Within these collections, you’ll find everything you need to build a standard wardrobe alongside trendy pieces like graphic tees and essentials like underwear.
However, unlike most fashion retailers, Uniqlo isn’t victim to the quickness of the current fashion landscape.
While other retailers get by on hundreds of new arrivals each day, Uniqlo is more thoughtful in their approach to clothing.
The brand opts out of a plethora of daily new releases by being intentional in its design process and commitment to be a more sustainable company.
This allows each product to be made with extra care and attention, resulting in a longer lifespan for your Uniqlo pieces.
Some Uniqlo-like stores participate in designer, celebrity, or artist collaborations.
While H&M has tapped a slew of high-fashion designers and Pretty Little Thing keeps its pulse on working with the hottest influencers, Uniqlo collaborates with artists as well as fashion designers.
Uniqlo fans might remember the many joint ventures between the Japanese brand and American artist KAWS.
In-store customer service and behind-the-scenes operations are another quality that sets Uniqlo apart.
Around the globe, Uniqlo employees are expected to uphold the same standard practices of the employees in the first original store.
This includes introducing themselves by name to every customer they help, and also handing back charge cards as they do in Japan.
This also includes handing it back with both hands and staring directly at the customer’s face.
What may seem like an over-the-top customer experience is just one of the many things that secure Uniqlo’s continued success.
When it comes to style, Uniqlo places functionality, comfort, and sustainability over the most current or hot trend. Uniqlo’s pieces are minimalistic, well made, and designed for a more simplistic wardrobe.
This isn’t to steer any fashion lovers away from this brand. At Uniqlo, you’re sure to find basics or layering pieces you can style within your more trend-focused ‘fits.
10 Best Stores Like Uniqlo
#1 – Old Navy
Old Navy has been a fashion destination for the whole family spanning multiple decades.
Its fun and welcoming approach to summer dressing is highly advertised and well-known across North America.
Here is where you’ll find affordable basics and minimalistic pieces similar to Uniqlo but trendy pieces as well. However, you will not find the Uniqlo quality here.
#2 – Shein
Shein is an online retailer that puts the fast in fast fashion. The Chinese fashion giant is known for its high-fashion dupes, its massive selection, and incredibly low prices.
If you’re looking for cheap clothing websites, any shopaholic will tell you that Shein is a go-to for menswear, womenswear, and childrenswear.
Shein takes it a step further by also offering home goods, tech accessories, and even products for your pets!
#3 – boohooMAN
Boohoo has long been a fashion platform with lots of cheap and chic pieces for women, men, and kids. However, if you’re shopping for affordable men’s styles, boohooMAN is a great choice.
This menswear line, which is offset from the Boohoo brand, features a wide selection of styles—ranging from fun and graphic to sleek and muted.
In fact, boohooMAN is one of the stores like Uniqlo that offers a dash of maximalism alongside its minimalistic pieces.
#4 – Frank And Oak
Calling all Canadians, here’s one for you. Founded in 2009, Frank And Oak is a sustainable fashion brand designed in Canada.
Of all the stores within this guide like Uniqlo, Frank And Oak is most similar in aesthetic, and they also have a similar mission statement.
Both brands utilize natural fabrics and ethical sourcing, which encourages shoppers to make conscious shopping choices and develop healthier clothing habits.
And this is something both Uniqlo and Frank & Oak believe in.
#5 – Bershka
Like its sister-store Zara, Bershka has an abundance of runway-inspired designs.
The price point is also similar to Zara which, in turn, exceeds the max price of Uniqlo. However, at Bershka you’ll find simple yet stylish casual pieces, much like Uniqlo.
#6 – Mango
Mango has long been a fashion destination for trendy, designer-inspired styles you can wear in a plethora of places.
Like the other stores like Uniqlo, Mango’s price point is pretty affordable, which will suit multiple budgets.
#7 – J.Crew
American multi-brand J. Crew retails apparel, accessories, and footwear.
Although this is another one of the clothing stores like Uniqlo, the price point at J.Crew greatly exceeds the price point of our featured brand’s pieces.
In addition to this, casualwear is not all that J.Crew sells.
The modern working woman or man can find workwear essentials at their local J.Crew or online, alongside semi-formal pieces and other styles for more formal outings.
#8 – Bonobos
Menswear brand Bonobos is for the fashion-forward man and the laid-back one as well.
It has plenty of bright and bold pieces as well as the neutrals and simple tailoring like you’ll find at Uniqlo. However, unlike Uniqlo, this brand caters to only one sector of the Uniqlo market (men).
So, if you’re looking for affordable women’s and childrenswear, Bonobos isn’t the best choice.
#9 – H&M
H&M is one of the most similar stores like Uniqlo, since both brands have similar markets and participate in designer collaborations.
And even though the H&M price point exceeds that of Uniqlo, H&M still offers a multitude of products within the Uniqlo price point.
#10 – Banana Republic
The sleekest of The Gap Inc. brands, Banana Republic is a fashion brand that aims to establish an emotional connection between its customers and its clothing.
Although Banana Republic retails workwear, night-out pieces, and trendy styles, it also carries a slew of affordable casual styles much like Uniqlo.
Which Stores Like Uniqlo Are Closest In Comparison?
By now you’ve gathered that Uniqlo is a one-of-a-kind brand. Even so, this brand still has lots of competitors. And these competitors are a lot more similar to the brand than many other retailers on the market.
Although no one comes to being 100% like Uniqlo, there are a couple of the aforementioned brands that are the most similar to Uniqlo.
When it comes to brands that are most similar to Uniqlo, Frank And Oak takes the cake. The sustainable Canadian brand has the same conscious, casual mission as Uniqlo, and they also share a simple chic and casual aesthetic.
Frank & Oak is where you’ll find quality pieces made of quality materials just like you would shopping at one of Uniqlo’s many locations.
The brand promotes the concept of better living and healthier shopping habits, something Uniqlo also aims to inspire within its consumers.
Although this is the brand closest by comparison, Frank And Oak does not carry childrenswear as Uniqlo does.
H&M is the second and final brand from the list most like Uniqlo. Both Uniqlo and H&M participate in designer collaborations while also supplying customers with chic, casual pieces.
Uniqlo is one of the leading mainstream brands when it comes to sustainability, and while H&M still contributes to fast fashion, the European retail giant also has a sustainable collection that’s made of high-quality materials.
Which Stores Like Uniqlo Are The Most Affordable?
When it comes to affordability, stores like Uniqlo are your best bet for securing the latest or best styles without breaking the bank. However, make no mistake that the term ‘affordability’ is highly dependent on the bank account in question.
On a grand scale, a store like Uniqlo is already affordable, because it sells a variety of styles under $200. However, there are other stores like Uniqlo that offer an even wider range of casual styles for under $100.
Take, for instance, Shein. On a global scale, Shein’s popularity has been growing each year—not only for its plethora of styles—but for the unbelievable prices these trendy pieces are retailed for.
Similar to Uniqlo, Shein also participates in artist collaborations but, unlike Uniqlo, these joint venture items are rarely priced above their usual price point.
While Uniqlo begins retailing items for under $10, Shein retails items for as low as under $5. Currently, on the Shein website, the most expensive item is $250 which does exceed the price of the most expensive Uniqlo item.
Shein, however, offers lots of coupon codes, shipping initiatives, customer loyalty programs, and flash sales that significantly reduce the prices of even the most expensive items.
Outside of the promotion model Shein follows, the brand also utilizes third-party services that can make shopping with Shein even more affordable.
For the big hauls you’re unsure about, Shein offers Afterpay and Paybright so consumers can buy now but pay later.
The Shein eCommerce site also allows the Honey extension to pull various coupon codes from the web to ensure you’re getting the best deal for your fashion finds.
So, if you’re looking for cheap clothes for men, women, and children check out this retailer.
All these factors make Shein the most affordable of the stores like Uniqlo, but it should be noted that when you compromise on price your apparel will lack quality.
While Shein’s items are affordable for students, young adults, and more, it’s important to note that this is majorly due to the quality of these pieces.
That’s because Shein is one of the many fast fashion brands that still use subpar materials and construction practices that aren’t built for long-lasting wear.
Be aware that although Shein is similar to Uniqlo overall, these retailers are not similar when it comes to quality.
Which Stores Like Uniqlo Offer The Best Quality?
If you really want to capture the ‘Uniqlo look’ you’re going to have to shop where the top-notch threads are. Uniqlo doesn’t compromise on quality materials and sustainable practices (much like Frank And Oak).
Frank And Oak’s mission statement details its commitment to inspiring better living through more conscious clothing choices. On the brand’s website, you’ll find pages that explain its sustainability practices much like Uniqlo.
Uniqlo prides itself on using natural, high-quality fabrics like wool, linen, and cashmere.
On the other hand, Frank And Oak uses natural fibers like hemp, ethically sourced yak wool, kapok (as an alternative to cotton), and a list of recycled materials.
Even though some Frank And Oak items are made of recycled polyester and recycled polyester blends, you can still expect these styles to outlive most of your fast-fashion pieces.
Final Thoughts
Uniqlo is a fashion brand as unique as its name. This is a one-of-a-kind brand—not only for its success in delivering stylish apparel—but for its many working parts that make the brand what it is.
From the technical requirements to the materials used, this brand is committed to not only creating quality products but also creating a quality shopping experience for their customers.
We should all aim to make better fashion choices and brands like Uniqlo are a great place to start.
As the fashion industry continues moving forward with its obsession with quickness, brands that still cater to slow fashion that create more thoughtful designs are greatly appreciated and offer a refreshing take on clothing and style.
If more brands focused on high-quality pieces—as opposed to constantly churning out the micro-trends that don’t last long—we could see a great improvement in the fashion landscape as well as on our planet.
As new designers continue to reach new heights and new brands break through the noise of already established retailers, we can only hope that somewhere amongst all the new development that there will be more stores like Uniqlo coming soon.
Looking for more store alternatives? We’ve got you covered:
