TCF POST Report

TOKYO, October 28, 2026. UNIQLO, the flagship LifeWear brand of Fast Retailing, has moved up to No. 38 in Interbrand’s Best Global Brands 2026. It appeared on the list for the second year running, having debuted at No. 47 in 2025, a gain of nine places in twelve months.

Brand value up US$2.8 billion

Interbrand now values UNIQLO at US$20.5 billion, up 16% from US$17.7 billion a year earlier. The result follows another recent recognition. In April 2026, Interbrand placed UNIQLO among the top five in its Best Japan Brands ranking, so the brand is now rated highly both at home and against global competitors.

Sales and profit back the ranking

Fast Retailing says the ranking is consistent with its financial results. For fiscal 2026, the company reported:

  • Revenue of 3.9633 trillion yen, up 16.6% year on year
  • Business profit of 718.4 billion yen, up 30.4%
  • Net profit attributable to owners of the parent of 542.5 billion yen, up 25.3%

The company attributes the growth largely to demand in North America and Europe. Combined revenue from the two regions was 877.6 billion yen, about US$5.48 billion at the company’s conversion rate of 160 yen to the dollar.

What LifeWear means

Fast Retailing credits the rise to the worldwide appeal of LifeWear, its name for clothing that is timeless in style, high in quality and functional, and meant to improve everyday life. It says the brand’s commitment to customer experience was also a factor.

Yanai: “trust” is the goal

Koji Yanai, a Senior Executive Officer of the Fast Retailing Group, said the company was honored by the recognition. He said it would keep carefully creating and delivering clothing customers can value for years. Through that daily work, he said, the company hopes to earn each customer’s trust and become a brand people around the world can believe in and support.

How the ranking works

Interbrand’s annual study assesses leading global brands on three measures: financial performance, the role the brand plays in customers’ purchase decisions, and overall brand strength. The 2026 list is worth US$3.866 trillion in combined brand value, up 8.1% from US$3.575 trillion in 2025. UNIQLO’s 16% gain was about double the pace of the list as a whole.

This year’s report points to a widening divide among brands. Those that turn relevance, trust and distinctiveness into growth are pulling ahead of those that rely on reputation alone. Interbrand says the strongest performers convert brand strength into commercial results through innovation, customer experience, distinctive positioning and expansion into new growth areas.

From Hiroshima to 26 markets

UNIQLO opened its first store in Hiroshima in 1984. It now operates around 2,500 stores in 26 countries and regions. Fast Retailing says the brand remains committed to clothing that is “made for all” and designed to improve its customers’ lives everywhere.