Uniqlo’s Direct Mail Highlights its Seasonal Solutions

Uniqlo, a leading apparel retailer, uses a direct mail catalog as part of its strategy to differentiate itself in a crowded marketplace.

Mailer Name: Uniqlo
Date Mailed: April 2017

Founded by Tadashi Yanai, Japan-based Uniqlo is a major international designer, manufacturer and retailer of casual wear and accessories. Uniqlo operates 49 stores in the United States alone.

Uniqlo's innovations — which are all branded — help differentiate the brand from its price-driven competition. How those innovations enhance the form and function of its clothing is a big selling point of Uniqlo's Summer 2017 direct mail brochure.

To find “The clothes you need to make the most of your summer,” the brochure invites customers to visit Uniqlo's brick-and-mortar stores. “In Stores Now” reads the headline on the cover of the catalog.

The first inside spread serves as an introduction to Uniqlo. Clothing is about more than what’s practical; it's about what’s essential in your day, the copy claims. “Through thoughtful and logical design, we offer comfort, mobility and convenience to support you.”

Uniqlo offers brief explanations of the concepts — climate, utility, innovation, quality, comfort — that drive the evolution of its clothes. Subsequent pages in the catalog illustrate them more fully.

For example, Uniqlo's AIRism material is highlighted across a range of apparel categories, including T-shirts, briefs and bra tops. The breathable fabric keeps wearers cool and dry when generating heat, especially in summer months. In addition to describing the fabric’s benefits, the pages show a selection of products.

Information, like the layout, is fairly sparse. An item's name, image and price are shown. Shoppers can also see some of the colors available before heading out to the store.

The Takeaway
Comfort — how to make a customer physically feel better — can be as important a benefit as style, value or quality in brand positioning.