From pop-up GU moves on to flagship at SoHo, New York

GU, the Japanese apparel retailer and sister brand of UNIQLO, has announced the opening of GU NY SOHO, the brand's first overseas flagship store, as well as its online store, in fall 2024. The launch is interesting because the store has evolved from the brand’s pop-up in New York, which is currently open, and is scheduled to close in the summer of 2024.

Located on the main street of SoHo, New York, the new store will offer women's and men's clothing across two floors, as well as a selection of on-trend products, including shoes, bags, and accessories. The online store with the same product line-up as the physical store will also launch at the same time, delivering GU products nationwide.

With a sales floor area of about 10,225 ft², GU NY SOHO will be a showcase for the GU brand concept, conveying the latest fashions to customers around the world. The opening of a store in the SoHo neighborhood of New York—an area with a gathering of people of diverse cultures, values, and lifestyles—is a major step toward GU becoming a global fashion brand. The pop-up store in New York, which is currently open, is scheduled to close in the summer of 2024.

GU CEO Osamu Yunoki commented: "For about a year and a half since opening our first pop-up store in the U.S. in the fall of 2022, we have been able to provide GU products to many customers, so we have great expectations for our business development in the U.S. We have applied what we learned from the pop-up store to establish a framework for product development and business operations at a global level, and we are extremely pleased to be officially opening a store in the United States this fall. We will also launch our online store at the same time, and hope that even more customers will enjoy GU fashion."

GU was established in 2006 as a sister brand of UNIQLO, and currently operates approximately 470 stores in Asia, mainly in Japan. This is the first official opening of a store outside of Asia.