The parent company of Japanese fashion brand Uniqlo has vowed to continue its operations in Russia as a wave of other companies temporarily suspend sales and shut stores.
Japanese retail giant Fast Retailing has promised to keep Uniqlo’s Russian stores open.
In a statement to Nikkei, Fast Retailing’s chief executive Tadashi Yanai said: “Clothing is a necessity of life. The people of Russia have the same right to live as we do.”
While Yanai also stated that he is against the war and urged countries to oppose the ongoing invasion, Uniqlo’s 50 stores will remain open for Russian consumers.
This approach differs from those of fashion rivals including Zara and H&M, which have scaled back operations in the country to illustrate their opposition to the war, as well as due to supply chain issues.
Shipping companies FedEx, UPS and DHL are among those that have stopped sending shipments to Russia.
Last week Fast Retailing said it would donate $10m (£7.62m) to the UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, to assist those displaced by the crisis. It will also donate 100,000 Uniqlo clothing items to those in need, as well as 100,000 items of winter clothing collected through Uniqlo’s clothing recycling programme.
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