By Nikkei Asia
Fast Retailing looks to balance efficiency and eco-friendliness amid regulatory pressure
Fast Retailing, operator of the Uniqlo casualwear chain, is painting a clearer picture of its entire supply chain, from raw materials to stitching, amid growing pressure on the industry to improve transparency.
With cashmere, a Uniqlo winter staple, steady on-the-ground research has helped the Japanese company ensure a stable supply. Since 2019, Fast Retailing representatives have visited two or three cashmere goat farms each year to examine conditions, including the welfare of the animals raised there.
Along with these visits, the company last year began using satellite data through a partnership with the University of the Ryukyus in Okinawa, looking at photos and other information to analyze farms’ impact on nearby plants and the local ecosystem.
But “we still value the principle of going personally to see things with our own eyes,” a Fast Retailing representative said.
Since last year’s spring and summer product lineup, the retailer has mapped the full network of suppliers for individual garments, all the way back to the starting materials, in its internal systems.
“We’re working steadily to draw a map for traceability” with data from suppliers, a supply chain representative said. The company now can choose specific areas of origin and quality levels when it orders cotton, and plans to do the same for wool and other materials going forward.
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