Fast Retailing, the owner of Uniqlo, has kicked off its fiscal 2026 year with a strong earnings beat, posting a roughly 34% jump in first‑quarter operating profit and raising its full‑year outlook on the back of robust demand in Japan, Europe, and North America. The results show how Fast Retailing is successfully turning Uniqlo into a truly global basics powerhouse while gradually reducing its reliance on China.
Q1 numbers beat expectations
For the three months from September to November 2025, Fast Retailing’s operating profit climbed about 34% to roughly ¥205.6 billion (about $1.3 billion), easily topping analysts’ consensus of around ¥177 billion. Consolidated revenue for the quarter rose around 15% to approximately ¥1.028 trillion, reflecting strong growth across both domestic and overseas Uniqlo operations.
The company’s domestic business in Japan saw a 20.6% year-over-year growth in profit, driven by strong sales of sweatshirts and warm innerwear during the colder weather.…
Internationally, Fast Retailing’s overseas segment delivered profit growth of roughly 41.6%, as many markets posted double‑digit gains in both revenue and profit. Uniqlo’s global engine: Japan, Europe, North America Uniqlo Japan reported significantly higher revenue and profit, with revenue reaching about ¥299.0 billion (up 12.2%) and business profit climbing to roughly ¥62.4 billion (up 20.2%) for the quarter.
Same-store sales (including e-commerce) in Japan increased by about 11.0%, underscoring resilient demand for functional basics and seasonal products. Uniqlo International continued to be the key growth engine, with revenue rising to around ¥603.8 billion (up 20.3%) and business profit expanding to approximately ¥117.3 billion (up 38.0%).
Fast Retailing highlighted particularly strong momentum in Europe and North America, where store expansion and improved product‑market fit are helping the brand capture new customers. China risk management and JD.com push While China remains one of Fast Retailing’s largest markets, the company has been deliberately reducing its dependence after strict COVID-19 curbs and political tensions weighed on its performance in recent years…
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