Fast Retailing’s sales increase by 16.4% in March 2012

Fast Retailing has clocked in a 16.4% increase in the month

of March 2012 compared to March 2011. Its same-store sales increased by 5.1% year-on-year while sales at its own stores increased by 14.9%. Fast Retailing’s same-store sales rebounded in March compared to the previous year when an earthquake and Tsunami had hit Northeast Japan. The increase in sales is also the positive affect of specific advertising campaigns by the company for Color Ankle Skinny Pants, Bra Top and UT Print T-shirts.

Fast Retailing’s global flagship store, Uniqlo Ginza store, opened in Tokyo on March 16. Meanwhile, the 37 stores that were unable to operate for one week or more following the March 2011 disaster in Japan have been removed from Fast Retailing’s same-store total from March 2011. The widening discrepancy in sales growth in March between the "own-store sales and online sales" and "same-store sales" categories is due to the fact that the 37 stores mentioned above have generated a strong sales recovery, which is included in the "own-store sales" category.