Sustainability
Report 2022

Overcoming COVID-19 Together

Facing the unprecedented crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have supported many people in difficult situations,
while also taking various measures for ourselves, as a company surviving during the pandemic.
As the world moves to a new stage of living with COVID-19, we continue to support those in need.

Text：SATO JUNKO　Photo：KEI KONDOⓒ UNHCR/Eugenia Paz、Fondazione Progetto ARCA Onlus / Daniele Lazzaretto

Chile

Fast Retailing provides support to vulnerable people everywhere. This includes locations where we do not operate stores, such as Chile, Argentina and Egypt.

India

When COVID-19 cases surged in May 2021, Fast Retailing provided oxygen concentrators as emergency support through the non-profit organization, GiveIndia.

Italy

Fast Retailing support is designed to meet local needs in each region. For example, HEATTECH clothing was provided to volunteer groups and homeless people in Europe.

Japan

Approximately 1.6 million AIRism masks were donated to new first graders at elementary schools nationwide in April 2021 as the new school year started.

Supporting society through
the power of clothing

In cooperation with the UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, Fast Retailing provided support for vulnerable people, including donations totaling approximately 1 million AIRism masks to refugees in five countries in South America and the Middle East. Our donation destinations are not limited only to countries where we operate stores. If the foundations of life and humanity are shaken, global stability and peace are threatened. As a global company, we want to support the entirety of global society through the power of clothing. Based on this philosophy, we have been donating clothing to people who need support since 2001, when we delivered 10,000 items of fleece clothing to victims of the massive Gujarat Earthquake in western India.

Delivering what people need,
exactly how they need it

As COVID-19 spread quickly across India, we provided emergency support through two non-profit organizations totaling approximately 220 million rupees (around U.S. $3 million). This helped ensure we could deliver exactly what people needed, to the very people who needed it; aid such as oxygen concentrators for hospitals and meals for low-income earners. In Indonesia and Vietnam, we contributed to a fund to help speed up vaccination. In Japan, we donated AIRism masks to new first graders at elementary schools nationwide so that they could make a habit of preventing infection from the start of school life. Finding out what is required by local people and supporting them immediately is our philosophy of contribution and closely resembles our philosophy for developing products— always making good clothing for all, based upon the voices and needs of our customers.

Connecting the world
with continuous support

We have expanded our support during the COVID-19 crisis to 35 countries and regions, which includes donations of medical supplies and essential clothing. The number of face masks and AIRism masks we donated totaled approximately 22.3 million as of the end of August 2021. By now, many people across the world are vaccinated, and we have made progress dealing with COVID-19. But a great many people continue to face serious difficulties. We believe ongoing support remains necessary to close some of the gaps that still exist in the world today.

Overcoming COVID-19 together

Clothing is essential for living. To ensure we can continue providing customers with the products and services they need, we are taking COVID-19 seriously. We have implemented preventive measures in our stores and have conducted workplace vaccination programs for our employees. Even throughout periods of restrictions, we have operated both our retail and online stores without interruption to meet our customers’ needs as much as possible. At the same time, we have taken measures for the security and safety of employees at supplier factories, such as providing compensation during temporary absences from work. Throughout the pandemic, Fast Retailing continues doing business with a determination to overcome COVID-19 together with customers around the world.

Click here for " UNIQLO INITIATIVES TO HELP COMBAT　COVID-19 "