UNIQLO

About the partnership

Since: 2006

Locations: Every UNIQLO store in 22 countries: Japan, Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia, Australia, USA, Canada, UK, France, Russia, Germany, Belgium, Spain, Sweden, Holland and Denmark

UNIQLO began its partnership with UNHCR in 2006 with massive donations of clothing to refugee families in 2007. 

Ever since, our partnership has grown both in scope and scale, to have an incredible impact for refugees across the world.

Since 2007, over 25 million pieces of clothing have been delivered to more than 48 countries where UNHCR works. And UNIQLO has donated approximately US$12 million for our programmes.

UNHCR’s global and multifaceted partnership with UNIQLO shows the kind of comprehensive support and impact the private sector can have for the refugee cause.

Types of intervention:

1. Contributing clothing to people of concern and host communities, mainly from UNIQLO customers
2. Providing financial grants to support livelihoods and primary education programmes in Asia and emergency response in South Sudan and Bangladesh
3. Giving refugees employment opportunities, and helping them become self-reliant
4. Deploying Fast Retailing employees to work with UNHCR at its field offices
5. Supporting cause-related campaigns and marketing
6. Supporting educational and outreach programmes to increase awareness of refugee issues

Impact at a glance

• Over 25 million pieces of clothing have been delivered to refugees in more than 48 countries
• More than 18,000 refugees have been provided with vocational and life skills, given access to finance and/or started up their own business in five countries  in Asia
• 40,000 children, teachers and parents have benefitted from early-childhood, primary and secondary education in Asia  
• 82 refugees have been employed in UNIQLO stores in 6 countries (55 in Japan, 2 in France, 12 in Germany, 2 in Holland, 1 in the UK and 10 in the US) 
• 160,000 students in 1,447 schools have been taught about refugee issues by Fast Retailing employees in Japan as part of the school education programme  
• More than 10 Fast Retailing employees have been deployed to UNHCR field offices