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GU (retailer)

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"G.u." redirects here. For other uses, see GU.
G.U. Co., Ltd.
Native name
株式会社ジーユー
Kabushikigaisha Jīyū
Company typeKK
IndustryFashion retail
Founded21 February 1973; 52 years ago (1973-02-21)
Headquarters
Minato, Tokyo
,
Japan
Number of locations
478 (28 February 2025)
ParentFast Retailing
Websitegu-global.com

GU (Japanese: ジーユー, Hepburn: jīyū) is a Japanese discount casual wear designer, manufacturer, and retailer.[1] It is a wholly owned subsidiary of the company Fast Retailing, which is better known as the parent company of the retail chain Uniqlo. The name is a pun of the word jiyū (自由), meaning "liberty, freedom" and its slogan means "more freedom in fashion" (ファッションを、もっと自由に, fasshon o, motto jiyū ni). Its signature product[2][3] is a pair of jeans[4] costing 990 Japanese yen ($9.02 USD),[5] though they ceased production in January 2014.[6] As of 28 February 2025, there are 478 locations globally.[1]

History

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GU opened its first shop in Chiba Prefecture in October 2006[7] as a more affordable concept in fashion than Uniqlo. In September 2013, the company opened its first overseas shop in Shanghai,[8][9] later expanding to South Korea in September 2018.[10][11] In October 2022, GU opened its first pop-up shop in the United States in New York City, selecting SoHo, Manhattan to test out the North American market.[12][13] GU opened its first permanent global flagship store on 19 September 2024, directly opposite from its former location. The pop-up store closed on 31 July 2024, shortly before the flagship store's grand opening.[14][15]

GU Shibuya
GU Store in Taipei 2016

References

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  1. ^ a b "GU | FAST RETAILING CO., LTD". www.fastretailing.com. Fast Retailing. 10 April 2025. Archived from the original on 18 May 2025. Retrieved 17 May 2022.
  2. ^ Kudo, Takahiro (27 December 2009). "gekiyasu jīnzu no naga sa o kuraberu" 激安ジーンズの長さを比べる [Comparing the length of super cheap jeans]. dailyportalz.jp (in Japanese). Shinagawa, Tokyo, Japan: en:Daily Portal Z. p. 2. Archived from the original on 18 May 2025. Retrieved 18 May 2025.
  3. ^ "Raitāpurofīru: Kudō Takahiro" ライタープロフィール [Writer profile: Takahiro Kudo]. デイリーポータルZ (in Japanese). Shinagawa, Tokyo, Japan: en:Daily Portal Z. 15 October 2018. p. 3. Archived from the original on 18 May 2025. Retrieved 18 May 2025.
  4. ^ "g.u. new price declaration – round 3 | FAST RETAILING CO., LTD". www.fastretailing.com. Fast Retailing. 8 September 2009. Archived from the original on 18 May 2025. Retrieved 18 May 2025.
  5. ^ Kaori, Manabe (10 March 2009). "Fasutorigurūpu ga "990 en jīnzu"... | Raifu Nyūsu" ファストリグループが“990円ジーンズ”... | ライフニュース [Fast Retailing Group Sells "990yen Jeans"... | Life News]. Oricon Customer Satisfaction Rankings (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on 18 May 2025. Retrieved 18 May 2025.
  6. ^ Jae-hyuk, Park (19 July 2018). "Uniqlo faces 'cannibalization' for GU entering Korea". www.koreatimes.co.kr. The Korea Times. Archived from the original on 18 May 2025. Retrieved 18 May 2025. GU's signature 990 yen jeans ... will not be available in Korea, as the company stopped selling them in Japan in January 2014.
  7. ^ "About GU | GU STORE STAFF". LIFE at FR | FAST RETAILING CAREER OPPORTUNITIES. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  8. ^ "About GU". Fast Retailing. Retrieved 11 September 2022.
  9. ^ Fast Retailing Co., Ltd. (28 August 2013). "GU to Open First Oversea Store in Shanghai". www.fastretailing.com. Archived from the original on 18 May 2025. Retrieved 18 May 2025.
  10. ^ "Japanese casual wear retailer G.U. to open first store in South Korea". The Japan Times Online. 23 July 2018. ISSN 0447-5763. Retrieved 3 August 2018.
  11. ^ Kyodo News. "Japanese casual wear retailer G.U. to advance into South Korea". Kyodo News+. Retrieved 3 August 2018.
  12. ^ Palmieri, Jean E. (6 October 2022). "Uniqlo Sibling GU Opens First U.S. Store in SoHo". Women's Wear Daily. Condé Nast, Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on 18 May 2025. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
  13. ^ Silbert, Jake (7 October 2022). "UNIQLO'S FASTER-FASHION BRAND, GU, FINALLY DEBUTS OVERSEAS". High Snobiety. Titel Media GmbH. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  14. ^ "Fast Retailing's GU to open New York City flagship". Inside Retail Asia. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
  15. ^ "GU USA | Come in and say hi 👋 before we close our doors for good on July 31…". www.instagram.com. gu_usa_official. 29 July 2024. Archived from the original on 18 May 2025. Retrieved 18 May 2025 – via Instagram.
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