Uniqlo to enter B’luru with store in

ANUSHREE PRATAP AND PUSHKARV BENGALURU, DHNS

apanese clothing retailJer Uniglo is set to enter

Bengaluru with its first outlet coming in Orion Mall by Brigade Gateway, industry sources told DH.

The deal has already been signed, according to sources inaleadingrealty consultancy firm. However, the opening is notexpectedto happenbefore June at least, with fitouts and other processes to be done.

Thestorewillbespreadover a 30,000-square-feet carpet area, informed an executive of another leading property consultancy firm, with an investment amount of at least Rs8,000 persquare foot. The loading factorisexpected tobe around 35-40%. The loading factor represents the built-up area.

Uniglo will come into the samespacevacated by Spanish fashion brand Zara, recently.

Finding a suitable location in Bengaluruwasa challenge, the realty consultants explained, due to a lack of destination malls with only Orion and Phoenix garnering high footfall in the city. They were searching for the right space and the right mall.

“Phoenix was already occupied by brandssuchasZara and Lifestyle. Luckily, Orion was getting vacant. Uniglo

Orion Mall

has been waiting for a long time for Bengaluru,” said one of the consultants.

BothBrigadeand Uniglodeclined tocommenton the matter,despite DHraising queries with them, saying thattheywill provide appropriate updates inthe future. However, neither denied the development.

Uniglo executives have publicly expressed interest in expanding into the southern market and Bengaluru for a longtime,as partoftheirretail network expansion in India. The brand is already present in the region through their e-commerce website.

Uniglo may plan to expand further into Bengaluru following this one, the sources added.

The Japanese brand entered the Indian market in October 2019 with the highest number of stores in Delhi-NCR, as well as stores in citieslike Lucknow and Chandigarh. It entered Mumbai in October 2023. The brand operates 13 stores, as of November 2024.