Uniqlo is continuing its UK store expansion with the opening of its first Cambridge shop next month.
The Japanese fashion giant will open the 9,472sq ft store at the Grand Arcade on St Andrew’s Street on 24 September, taking over the former Ted Baker unit.
Spread across two floors, the new location will stock Uniqlo’s womenswear and menswear LifeWear ranges alongside its autumn/winter 2026 collection, including Soufflé Yarn knitwear, Puffertech outerwear, seamless down jackets and cashmere.
Uniqlo UK chief operating officer Alessandro Dudech said Cambridge’s mix of students, academics, residents and international visitors made it an attractive location for the retailer.
He said: “We have been looking forward to opening here and becoming part of the community.”
To mark the launch, the retailer will hand out goody bags to the first 300 customers spending more than £69.90 on opening day, while shoppers scanning the Uniqlo app with a purchase will be entered into a draw to win a trip to Tokyo.
Uniqlo is accelerating its push beyond London and into major regional shopping destinations. It currently operates 24 stores across the UK, having opened its first South West location at Bristol’s Cabot Circus in April.
It is also preparing to open a second Manchester store at the Trafford Centre this autumn.
The 24,000sq ft location will sit alongside its existing Market Street shop and make Manchester the first UK city outside London to house two Uniqlo stores.
Further openings are planned for Canary Wharf, while Uniqlo is set to make its Leeds debut on Briggate in 2027.
The expansion comes amid strong trading at parent company Fast Retailing, which last month raised its full-year operating profit forecast to ¥730bn (£3.37bn) after third-quarter operating profit jumped 45.7 per cent to ¥213.8bn.
Uniqlo has also been investing in its existing UK estate, reopening its enlarged Covent Garden store earlier this year following a 30 per cent expansion to 18,300sq ft.
Click here to sign up to Retail Gazette‘s free daily email newsletter
