UNIQLO is aware that LifeWear is not a product catalog. “We do not sell products through this publication,” Uniqlo’s head of communications Michael Zakshewski told Modern Retail. “The philosophy Uniqlo creates is lifewear. It’s not just clothing, it’s apparel that makes life easier for those who wear it on a daily basis,” he explained. Uniqlo says the magazine, which launched in 2019 and has four full-time staff, is essential to letting customers know what Uniqlo stands for. Uniqlo also uses the magazine as inspiration for in-store events and partnerships.
“The focus changes from issue to issue, but we always try to reach the same kind of touchpoints: what enriches the customer’s life, the story they want to hear, what elements of the brand you want to give them. into?” Zakrzewski said. For example, the latest issue includes an article about Uniqlo’s denim factory in Los Angeles, an interview with a glassmaker named Yoko Yamano Anderson, and a recipe for spring cabbage pierogi in Warsaw, Poland, where Uniqlo has his store pop-up. I’m here. All issues are free.
For the digital edition of the magazine, “site traffic is comparable to what you see on product pages,” Zakrzewski said. “And it’s grown consistently through publishing iterations, which is great.” Additionally, Uniqlo typically posts on its digital channels about the magazine’s products and spreads. “People understand the brand and have product communication, so the products we carry sell well,” he said Zakrzewski.
Uniqlo International reports a 19.4% year-on-year increase in revenue in the first quarter of 2023. CEO Daisuke Tsukakoshi told Bloomberg about the next four years. Uniqlo’s parent company, Fast Retailing, expects annual sales in North America to eventually reach $2.3 billion, Bloomberg reports.
Uniqlo promotes the magazine with in-store events and artwork. Zakshevsky said his Fifth Avenue store in New York is undergoing the largest expansion, but publications are being distributed to multiple stores across the United States. For example, some display each page of a magazine on the wall. A customer can view each spread and get his copy of a nearby hard if desired. The Fifth Avenue store has a large wall image of the latest cover and bookshelves filled with dozens of issues.
The latest issue of LifeWear Magazine is also available at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Uniqlo has partnered with the museum since his 2017, and his collection of Ukiyo-e UT graphic t-shirts is inspired by woodblock prints from MFA’s collection. The magazine’s new spread features the UNIQLO-sponsored exhibition “Hokusai: Inspiration and Influence” at MFA from March 26th to his July 16th.
“We’ve had very positive feedback,” Zakrzewski said of the demand for LifeWear Magazine. “Some customers have returned saying they have collected all the issues so far.”
Many start-ups have experimented with lifestyle magazines for years, only to shut them down or fail as their marketing priorities changed. Casper said he launched a quarterly magazine called Woolly in 2017, but he only has one issue of the magazine for sale on its website. Airbnb published “Airbnb Magazine” in 2018, but has since been “indefinitely suspended,” according to the website.
Still, businesses of all sizes are moving to print for marketing to stand out in crowded spaces, Chris Toy, co-founder and CEO of MarketerHire, told Modern Retail. “Offline he still has a class and prestige in marketing,” he explains. “Sending effective print is far more effective than seeing a $9 million ad on your phone. There is an opportunity to have a different perspective on your brand.”
“If you get a cool little magazine from a brand, it’s going to be a big deal,” Toy added. … from a marketing standpoint, it’s always a great opportunity … “Let me be the only print-branded lifestyle magazine you get this month” — it’s a pretty good place to be.
