Uniqlo is set to open its 11th Parisian location at 42–44 Rue du Faubourg-Saint-Antoine, in the vibrant Bastille neighbourhood of the 11th arrondissement. With this new address, the Japanese brand will operate 29 stores across France.
Uniqlo plans to open several new stores across Europe. – Uniqlo
The choice of Bastille reflects Uniqlo’s desire to anchor itself in a dynamic district celebrated for its rich artisanal and creative heritage, as well as its engaged local community.
Unlike some of the city’s other commercial hubs, such as Les Halles, La Samaritaine or Opéra, Bastille has fewer large international retailers, allowing Uniqlo to position itself among independent boutiques and benefit from a more neighbourhood-driven retail atmosphere.
The new location will span 900 square metres across two floors, occupying a space formerly home to Habitat. Nearly two decades after debuting in La Défense, this addition strengthens Uniqlo’s presence in the French capital. The brand also announced that its very first Paris store will undergo renovation starting 28 April, with a reopening scheduled for autumn 2025.
Fast Retailing reported first-quarter revenue of €5.5 billion. – Uniqlo
The flagship brand of Japan’s Fast Retailing Group is accelerating its European growth strategy. On 27 March, Uniqlo will inaugurate a new store in Madrid’s Castellana district, followed by an opening in Liverpool (Merseyside) later this spring. For the Autumn/Winter 2025 season, the brand has additional store launches planned in Frankfurt, Munich and the UK cities of Birmingham and Glasgow.
For the first quarter of its 2024/2025 fiscal year, Uniqlo reported €5.5 billion in revenue and €810 million in net profit, a 22.4% increase year-over-year. The brand now operates 2,495 stores worldwide.
Swedish fintech Klarna has paused its plans for a U.S. initial public offering as President Donald Trump‘s sweeping tariffs rattle global markets, according to sources familiar with the situation.
Reuters
The decision would complicate an uneven recovery for the U.S. IPO market, as the company’s listing was seen as a potential catalyst for encouraging others to follow.
Klarna could reassess its plans if market conditions stabilize, the people said.
While hopes of a recovery were high in 2025, some of the new entrants to the IPO market have seen muted receptions.
LNG exporter Venture Global’s shares have dropped since its January debut. AI infrastructure firm CoreWeave’s shares dipped on their first day of trading, but have climbed since then.
Fears of a trade war have crushed stocks after Trump unveiled the sweeping tariffs plan this week that could weigh on the global economy.
“This kind of market instability naturally makes any company, regardless of sector, hit the brakes on near-term IPO plans,” said Lukas Muehlbauer, research analyst at IPOX.
Klarna was aiming to raise more than $1 billion at a valuation exceeding $15 billion, according to media reports.
It had 93 million active customers on its platform and operations in 26 countries as of 2024 end, according to its IPO filing.
The company had soared to a valuation of $45.6 billion in 2021, but that has tempered since as the pandemic-driven surge in online spending moderated.
Klarna did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. The Wall Street Journal, which first reported the plans, said the company had decided to postpone marketing its shares, originally scheduled for this week.
Meanwhile, U.S. stocks fell sharply for a second straight session on Friday, pushing the Nasdaq toward a bear market.
Shares in companies that have large manufacturing operations in Vietnam, including Nike Inc. and Lululemon Athletica Inc., soared Friday
Nike
Nike shares erased an earlier loss to gain as much as 5.9%, while On Holding AG and Skechers USA Inc. also rose more than 6% each. Lululemon Athletica shares meanwhile jumped 3.9%. Wayfair Inc. was briefly halted for volatility after erasing a 19% decline to jump as much as 6.4%.
Trump said on social media that he spoke to To Lam and Vietnam wants to “cut their tariffs down to zero.” The president unveiled a levy of 46% on goods imported from Vietnam, effective April 9. Apparel and shoemakers had shifted manufacturing to the southeast Asia country in recent years after Trump hit China will levies during his first term.
About half of all Nike brand shoes and 39% of Adidas shoes are made in Vietnam, according to regulatory filings, with the country being the largest supplier of footwear for both companies. Nike has already said it expects its gross margin to decline sharply this quarter, in part due to US tariffs on products from China and Mexico.
Nike shares are still down more than 20% on the year, while Lululemon is off more than 30%.
Zara owner Inditex believes it will have opportunities to grow in the United States where it plans to open more stores, despite trade tariffs announced by President Donald Trump, Chief Executive Officer Oscar Garcia Maceiras said on Friday.
Zara
Garcia Maceiras said the company has not seen any drastic consumption changes in any of its key markets lately.
The United States is Inditex’s second-biggest market.