Uniqlo to open first Southern California stores in the fall

Uniqlo, a popular Japanese apparel retailer often compared to American brand Gap, will open its first stores in Southern California this fall at the Beverly Center in Los Angeles and South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa.

The company already has more than 1,300 stores worldwide, including 17 in the U.S. Of those, five are up and running in the Bay Area.

The first store in the chain, which is known for its wide array of basics, opened in Hiroshima in 1984.

Uniqlo is owned by Japanese holding company Fast Retailing Co., parent to Helmut Lang and Theory.

Fast Retailing said it is the world’s fourth-largest retail apparel company, with global sales of 1.14 trillion yen, or $11.2 billion, in the fiscal year ended Aug. 31.

Uniqlo also said it will open an additional Northern California store at the Sunvalley Shopping Center in Concord.

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