Consumers Boycott Japanese Goods, Seoul UNIQLO Store Plans To Close

The impact of trade disputes between Japan and South Korea has gradually spread. Affected by the boycott of Japanese goods, the Japanese clothing brand UNIQLO plans to close a store in the center of Seoul, South Korea.

Reuters quoted Japan's Yomiuri Shimbun in August 9th as saying that the Japanese leisure clothing chain, UNIQLO, plans to close a store in downtown Seoul, which is affected by the boycott of South Korean consumers. At present, the Japanese fast retailing company, which is owned by UNIQLO, has not responded to the matter immediately. The Korean newspaper, the Korean times, also said that UNIQLO is closing or renovating its stores in Seoul.

Yonhap reported 9 days ago that "UNIQLO had been favored in Korea, but it took the brunt of the boycott of Japanese goods". The report quoted IGAWorks, a Korean mobile digital platform provider, 9, released a report that the number of Japanese brand UNIQLO and MUJI APP in South Korea declined significantly. The number of monthly active users of UNIQLO APP in July this year was 510 thousand and 440, a decrease of 29% from 721 thousand and 472 in June, a decrease of 28% over the first half of the year. The number of active users in July was 40% lower than that in June and the first half of the year.

Reuters said UNIQLO is one of Japan's well-known brands outside the global automotive and electronics sectors. UNIQLO has nearly 190 stores in Korea, with annual sales of about 140 billion yen, accounting for 6.6% of its revenue.

According to overseas network news, as early as July 24th, a labor group composed of couriers of Korean express companies held a press conference in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul, and announced that they refused to distribute goods for UNIQLO. According to Japan's Kyodo news agency, the group issued a statement saying: "we condemn the economic retaliation of the Andouble administration and declare that we have joined the Anti Japanese tide of universal rejection of commodities for UNIQLO." The group said it chose UNIQLO because its operator, the Japanese fast marketing company, had published remarks that belittled South Korea's "boycott of Japanese goods" activities.

According to previous reports, the Japanese government announced in July 1st that it had strengthened the control of raw materials for the three semiconductor industries exported to South Korea, and officially excluded South Korea from the "white list" of export trade in August 2nd. The South Korean government has characterized Japanese action as "economic retaliation". Recently, South Korea's domestic "boycott Japanese goods" voice has been increasing, and has continued to ferment.