Japanese retailer Uniqlo is returning to Chicago's premier shopping district as part of its U.S. expansion, opening its doors this week in a downtown area that's about to lose a flagship Saks Fifth Avenue.
Uniqlo, part of Tokyo-based Fast Retailing, on Friday is slated to hold a grand opening for its new 29,000-square-foot store at 600 N. Michigan Ave. Uniqlo closed its Chicago store at 830 N. Michigan and one at 111 Powell St. in 2021 amid the pandemic.
"Whether commuting downtown or exploring the lakefront, find clothing crafted to move with you," Uniqlo said on its website regarding its new Chicago store.
After a pullback and closing shops in places such as Chicago the past few years, Uniqlo is rolling out stores, including in other cities where it had exited locations. The chain has slated 11 store openings across the country this year. Aiming to boost its U.S. profile, Uniqlo and the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday announced a partnership. The deal includes naming rights, with the baseball team now playing on Uniqlo Field at Dodger Stadium.
Uniqlo didn't immediately respond to an email from CoStar News on Thursday seeking comment.
Chicago's Michigan Avenue is slowly rebounding from the pandemic-era collapse in shopping tourism and subsequent waves of property damage and theft. While reported crime nearby has fallen, safety concerns still loom large in public perception. The district had racked up a string of high-profile leases before Saks Global announced earlier this month it would close the Saks Fifth Avenue store at 700 N. Michigan.
Uniqlo's reopening comes more than a month after CoStar News reported Gap is eyeing a return to the corridor, also at 700 N. Michigan. Recent leases have included Spain's Mango committing to a large new store and Aritzia taking over the space where Gap used to be. A Harry Potter-themed store debuted to large crowds last year, and Alo Yoga filled part of a former Disney Store.
Michigan Avenue could see retail leasing double in 2026, pushing up rents, according to a report from local retail real estate brokerage Kirsch Agency. Availability is expected to fall to 23.5% — down from a peak of 33.9% in early 2025 — by the end of the year, the report said. Still, that reduced number is sky-high when compared with long-term figures, including a low of 3.6% in 2016.
Uniqlo's new round of openings also includes a return to San Francisco's Market Street, with a flagship slated for 801 Market St.
The retailer has now also released the addresses for a batch of the new locations. Two stores recently opened, one at 510 Fifth Ave. in Bryant Park in Manhattan and one at 187 Kent Ave. in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York.
Next month stores are scheduled to debut at 860 Broadway in Union Square in Manhattan and at 399 Washington St. in Boston.