Fashion Briefing: Uniqlo aims to increase in-store purchases with new matcha cafes

“We wanted to bring this coffee concept to New York to enhance the shopping experience for our customers,” said Nicolas Cessot, head of marketing for Uniqlo Americas. “Fifth Avenue is one of the most iconic streets in the world, and we saw it as an opportunity to bring people into a space where they could enjoy a coffee, relax and engage with the brand in a deeper way.” 

In January, foot traffic at the intersection of Broadway and Prince Street spiked by 20% year-over-year according to the city’s Economic Development Corporation.

The cafe, which operates from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., reflects Uniqlo’s Japanese roots and its commitment to hospitality. By creating a space that encourages customers to stay and relax, Uniqlo hopes to evolve its Fifth Avenue flagship from just a store to also a hangout destination.

Fashion brands are increasingly adding cafes and restaurants to their flagship locations. 

Dior and Gucci have long understood the value of integrating lifestyle elements into retail. Dior launched Dior Café as part of the renovation of its flagship on Avenue Montaigne in Paris in 2022. And Gucci expanded its retail concept with the opening of Gucci Osteria, a fine-dining restaurant in Florence, in 2018 — a location in Los Angeles followed, in 2020. Louis Vuitton, meanwhile, opened a hot chocolate cafe in February in NYC. 

For its part, Tiffany & Co. has integrated a cafe into its Fifth Avenue flagship, reimagining its iconic Blue Box Café after a renovation in 2023. The cafe has become known for its upscale breakfast and tea offerings. Even Prada is reportedly opening a restaurant or cafe in SoHo, New York in 2026.

As for American brands, Kate Spade opened a cafe inside Bloomingdale’s Dubai Mall in 2024. In a similar vein, Coach opened a café at the Jersey Shore Premium Outlets in January. The integration of a cafe creates an inviting atmosphere for customers to linger and interact with the brand in a less transactional way. 

Meanwhile, Muji, another Japanese store that has operated cafes around the world for years, went all in by opening a 12,000-square-foot food market in Chelsea, NYC, in February. According to February data from consulting company McKinsey, consumers said they plan to splurge most on restaurants and groceries, and not clothing, in the next six months. For many of these brands, this shift could be a driving factor.

Uniqlo’s cafe concept reads as a welcoming and relaxing, service-driven space. According to Cessot, “We’re not just selling clothing, but we’re offering a lifestyle. We’ve renovated the second floor to offer services like the UTme! customization station and in-store pickup options, and now we have the coffee space to provide a more holistic retail experience.” UTme! by Uniqlo is a mobile app that allows users to create and customize their own T-shirt designs using various tools, which can then be ordered as personalized apparel in stores. The coffees and matcha drinks range in price between $3.95-$7.45. 

Uniqlo expects the matcha on offer to be a big hook for customers. The recent matcha craze, largely fueled by social media platforms like TikTok, where videos of the green milky beverage can get upward of 8 million views, has made matcha an aspirational ingredient for young consumers, particularly those seeking health-conscious beverages. Matcha has become a symbol of wellness and mindfulness because of its ties to Japanese Buddhist tea culture and its antioxidant health benefits. Globally, the popularity of the beverage is causing matcha shortages in Japan. Uniqlo offers both hot and cold matcha drinks.

“We’re seeing great feedback on the coffee and matcha itself, but also on the space — people are appreciating the fact that they can hang out, grab a coffee, and learn about the brand,” said Cessot. “It’s not just a quick in-and-out shopping experience; it’s a destination.” 

Retailers are competing with the convenience of online shopping by offering unique experiences that cannot be replicated digitally. “When customers spend more time in the store, they tend to engage more with the products, whether it’s by trying on clothes or browsing through our other offerings,” said Cessot. “It’s not just about the coffee; it’s about creating an environment where customers are more likely to make additional purchases.” 

Early feedback on the Fifth Avenue cafe, particularly on social media, has been overwhelmingly positive, with customers praising the quality of the coffee and the welcoming atmosphere.

“We’re seeing a lot of engagement on social media,” said Cessot. “People are tagging the store and sharing their experiences, and that’s exactly what we want. We’re seeing higher engagement than expected.” As the café concept matures, Uniqlo will continue to gather customer feedback and adapt the offering, just as it does with its clothing lines.

“We want to learn from this first cafe before we expand it further,” he said. However, the possibility of more Uniqlo Coffee locations in other North American cities is on the table, he said.

Trump tariffs set to disrupt sneaker market

The Trump-era tariffs are back, and this time, they’re hitting footwear giants Nike and Adidas where it hurts. With a fresh 46% tariff on imports from Vietnam — where Nike manufactures about half of its shoes and Adidas nearly 40% — the fallout is set to ripple across the sneaker industry.

According to Bloomberg, brands are now scrambling to rethink their supply chains, with higher retail prices almost inevitable. In Glossy’s previous reporting when the tariffs were announced in February, an industry law expert speaking anonymously said, “You have to ask: What’s your exposure? What’s your commitment to the U.S. market? And how do you diversify risk? Some brands are contracting their margins. Some are trying to absorb the costs through vertical integration. It depends on the structure of the company, but there’s no one-size-fits-all solution.”

For Nike and Adidas, the challenge is clear: Either absorb the costs and eat into profits or pass them along to increasingly price-sensitive consumers. As brands test new manufacturing hubs and double down on direct-to-consumer strategies, the tariffs are forcing a reckoning that could reshape how, and where, sneakers are made.

Other earnings to note

• PVH, owner of Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger, is on a roll, projecting its 2025 adjusted earnings per share to be between $12.40 and $12.75, exceeding analysts’ expectations. Analyst Dana Telsey from Telsey Advisory Group owed that to stronger consumer engagement, marketplace execution and innovative product focuses at Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger. Both brands have expanded their customer base through high-profile celebrity and influencer partnerships.

Executive moves

• Blenders Eyewear founder Chase Fisher is stepping down as CEO, with Jack Gray taking the helm as the brand’s new leader. Fisher will transition to brand evangelist to expand Blenders Eyewear community and NIL impact.
• On Holding is transitioning to a single CEO, with Marc Maurer stepping down after 12 years and Martin Hoffmann taking over in June. The founders will remain in leadership roles to oversee the product organization and support Hoffmann.

News to know

• Cardi B is leveling up her legacy with an exclusive multicategory venture with Revolve. The rapper will launch her first apparel and beauty lines in 2025, aiming to create a billion-dollar fashion and lifestyle empire, all while teasing her highly anticipated second album set for release later this year.
• Skims opened its highly anticipated flagship on Sunset Boulevard on April 1, marking a major milestone in its aggressive expansion strategy while setting the stage for a beauty line and the debut of NikeSkims.
• Primark’s U.S. expansion continues despite leadership shakeups and a 2.2% dip in shares, as it doubles down on brick-and-mortar growth with new stores and a $90 million investment in the market. CEO Paul Marchant resigned over misconduct allegations on March 31.

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