By Gaby Soutar

Copyright scotsman

I don’t want to reignite an ancient Edinburgh versus Glasgow feud, but I’m wondering which city is soon going to boast the best branch of Uniqlo. It’s been nearly 18 months since the Capital’s Princes Street shop opened, and now the Japanese brand is opening its second Scottish store and the 22nd in the UK, tomorrow. There are 2,500 worldwide. The newest from this retail destination is situated on Glasgow’s 135-153 Argyle Street, sandwiched between H&M and the St Enoch Centre. Originally, it was four shops, including an Ann Summers and a tartan tat outlet, but they’ve knocked them into one long space. “We are in the heart of Glasgow and it’s a blessing to have the regional ecosystem and the architecture,” says UK chief operating officer Alessandro Dudech. “After the big success of Edinburgh, coming here and having so much anticipation, so much buzz and people being excited, it just fills you with confidence.” If Edinburgh is anything to go by, this double level store will soon be absolutely hoaching, but I’m having a look round on the day before it opens to the public, so it’s as quiet as a library. Everything is looking pristine. The cashmere and merino sweaters are neatly folded, the iconic sock wall is like an unsullied rainbow, and there are no elbows to dodge, yet. As you enter the store, you’ll find womenswear on the left, menswear on the right. This is probably the best time of year for Uniqlo to open, as autumn/winter ranges are their forte. Since it’s a very wet day in Glasgow, I’m immediately drawn to the fluffy souffle knits and the cosy coats. They’ve also extended their Puffertech range, so you can now find a padded jacket of every length and colour, including a satsuma orange and houndstooth check. Just along from this section, there are all their banana bags, in new shades for the season, plus the new Ultra Mini sized versions that were launched recently. On the way to the shop, I saw about three people wearing these bags. Soon, the entire population of Glasgow will be slinging them, if Edinburgh is anything to go by. According to Dudech, Glaswegians had been commuting to the Capital to get their Uniqlo fix. “I mean, even in Manchester and London, we get a lot of customers from Glasgow. So, we’ve really felt the anticipation building on the lead up,” he says. “We’ve had a lot of people asking on social media and our customer centre, when is it coming?” As I look round, I can feel my debit card burning a hole in my pocket. It’s just a shame that the magic tills aren’t open yet. In the stairwell, there’s a bright and cheerful mural by Cobolt Collective. Among other things, this features the Duke of Wellington statue with its signature police cone on its head – and another on the horse’s – a cyclist and someone holding a bright umbrella. Upstairs, among other things, you’ll find kids clothing, Sports Utility Wear, Innerwear – aka undies and pyjamas – and a huge Heattech area for all your layering requirements, including their new wafer-thin cashmere tops. This feature, up on a mezzanine, definitely seems bigger than Edinburgh’s. I don’t think anyone in Glasgow is going to have to put their heating on this winter. In other sections on the first floor, there are the barrel leg trousers that went viral in the summer, and are now available in new colours, their first ever cashmere dress, plus the AIRism T-shirts that are always in their top ten best sellers list globally. There’s also a seating area, with chairs that are padded with repurposed puffer coats and a recycled tapestry made from reclaimed Uniqlo scraps. These were put together by local community group, Govanhill Baths Community Trust. “Every time we open a new store, we’re trying to make it a unique experience,” Dudech says. The merchandising team have even dressed the window mannequins, not in a generic style, but in a way that some of the 100 new staff members thought would most appeal to the west coast shopper. I am scared to say it, but I think the Glasgow store might be slightly better than Edinburgh. It’s something to do with the layout, which has a good flow. In the Capital, I often find myself kettled in the denim section. Although they’re roughly the same size at about 1100 square metres, the main difference between shops is that there is no cafe in the newer store. In the Capital, we have Katsute 100, serving matcha lattes and cakes. However the Glasgow store’s Re.Uniqlo Studio repairs and customisation is substantially bigger. They probably decided on the size increase, as the same offering in Edinburgh has become one of their most popular in the UK. When the first Scottish shop launched, you could buy their classic banana bag, with limited edition Irn-Bru bottles and cans embroidered onto the side by the Re.Uniqlo team. However, in Glasgow, they’ve teamed up with Tunnock’s, so you can have a teacake or wafer design instead, only available until October 31. There aren’t any other plans to open more Scottish stores at the moment, though there are two further Uniqlo shops coming to the UK this year, with Leeds and Bristol. As Dudech says; “The brick and mortar store is the heart of the business, and it’s where customers come and get to touch the fabric. They get to understand the brand in a deeper and more meaningful manner. So for me, it’s essential. As a matter of fact, when we open a physical store, we usually see our online sales grow, because customers get to know the brand.” www.uniqlo.com The first 100 customers to spend £60 on opening day and Saturday October 4 will receive a goody bag while Uniqlo app customers will be in with the chance of winning a trip to Tokyo, by scanning the app with any purchase during opening weekend to be entered into the draw. There will be limited price promotions exclusive to the Argyle Street store on items such as Heattech, Puffertech and Soufflé items for both men and women. Read more: “Miniso Edinburgh. ‘I went to the newest shop on Edinburgh’s Princes Street and this is what I bought’” Read more:”I found my most beloved new houseplant in this glorious junle of an Edinburgh shop and cafe” Read more: “Uniqlo, Edinburgh. What are the best selling fashion items so far?”