UNIQLO'S 66 Yuan Masks, Can You Bring Your Achievements?

As summer approaches, the mask's hot feeling triggers the business opportunities of clothing brands, aiming at a more breathable and lightweight mask business. According to recent reports, Japan's fast fashion brand UNIQLO plans to launch a mask suitable for hot weather this summer.

According to the Japanese economic news, UNIQLO masks will use masks made of their popular AIRism underwear, which has good heat dissipation and breathability, and is not hot in summer. UNIQLO plans to open the business this summer and sell the mask product online and offline. The price is expected to be around 1000 yen (about 66.4 yuan).

Beijing Commercial Daily reporter made a verification to UNIQLO on the issue of production and marketing masks. The other side confirmed the news and referred to the use of AIRism fabric. However, whether the price of 66 yuan is the price of a single mask and whether it is synchronized in China, the other side said that it could not disclose more information at present.

According to public information, AIRism is a fabric developed by UNIQLO and Dongli, Japan. It has the characteristics of sweat absorption, quick drying, breathability, flexibility and elasticity, and is especially suitable for summer.

The Beijing Commercial Daily reporter saw in the Tmall flagship store of UNIQLO, the AIRism fabric used in the mask was mainly underwear for men and women, basic T-shirts and thin coats in summer, and the price was between 39 yuan -199 yuan.

In fact, fashion masks have a precedent. During the early phase of the epidemic, the demand for masks and other anti epidemic products increased dramatically. Luxury brands including LV, Gucci, DIOR and Prada, including fast fashion brands ZARA and H&M, had invested part of their productivity in mask production. However, it is understood that most of these masks are government orders, rather than business opportunities, and take the initiative to produce and sell.

From the information disclosed today, UNIQLO's summer mask is directly oriented to market sales, and its pricing is not low, with strong commercial attributes.

Previously, Ryui Masa, chairman and chief executive officer of fast retailing group of UNIQLO's parent company, also said he would not set foot in the mask business.

Some media quoted him as saying in his speech at the April earnings conference that "we will make contributions through clothing, compared with masks". In the Japanese economic news report, Ryui Masa's transformation was interpreted as "the customer's highest voice for masks."

There is a view that the introduction of mask products during this period may be related to the recent sluggish performance of UNIQLO. In February this year, the interim results of the 2020 fiscal year announced by XXX group showed that the company reported a profit of 12085 billion yen during the reporting period, down 4.7% from the same period last year, and operating profit of 136 billion 700 million yen, down 20.9% from the same period last year. XXX said its revenues and profits fell by two quarters, mainly due to a large decline in revenues and profits from the new crown pneumonia epidemic in South Korea and greater China. In the Greater China region and Southeast Asia market, the revenue of UNIQLO overseas business declined by 6.7% compared to the same period last year, and net profit fell 39.8%.

Ryui Masa, chairman and CEO of fast marketing group, called "the epidemic is the biggest crisis since World War II". For the whole 2020 fiscal year, Xun marketing group is not optimistic. When issuing the interim report, it warned the group net profit in the whole financial year would be reduced by 40%.

Despite the resumption of the mainland market, Japan has just announced the lifting of the national emergency declaration, but it is not easy for the brand to reclaim its performance before the epidemic. Although the rhythm of UNIQLO's new products has not been disrupted under the influence of the epidemic, compared with the KAWS joint venture that triggered a panic buying campaign last year, UNIQLO's UT series did not appear to explode in the past year due to special circumstances this year. Lei Jun, a series of ambassadors appointed by Guan Xuan, was also called "rollover" by netizens on the Internet. Endorsement advertisements were ridiculed as "full of flavor and taste", and products were classified into middle-aged and elderly clothing.

With the influence of various factors such as the exhaustion of aesthetic fatigue and the epidemic period, UNIQLO needs a new sales growth point. Can a small masks undertake such a heavy responsibility?

The fashion industry investor, CEO international, Yang Yun, told the Beijing daily news that UNIQLO launched the mask product more than just added a sales highlight. The mask is a medical product. It will not become the main source of revenue for the traditional clothing enterprises.

Yang stressed that from the current market situation, the mask products have begun to overrun. It is expected that some masks will close the business in the second half of the year. However, as the epidemic continues, the functionality and fashion of the mask may be attractive to consumers, but its pulling effect on performance will not be particularly large. This is why many companies have not yet entered the field purely for commercial motives.