Uniqlo owner Fast Retailing Co. faces mounting pressure over its plans to keep operating stores in Russia, even as other global retailers including fast-fashion rivals Hennes & Mauritz AB and Zara¡¯s Inditex SA pause sales in the country over Russian President Vladimir Putin¡¯s invasion of Ukraine.
Tadashi Yanai, chief executive officer of Asia¡¯s largest retailer, said in an interview with the Nikkei newspaper earlier this week that clothing was a necessity and that ¡°the people of Russia have the same right to live as we do.¡± While firms including Apple Inc. and McDonald¡¯s Corp. pull back from Russia, Fast Retailing said last week it is donating clothes and other items to Ukrainians who¡¯ve fled and $10 million to the U.N.¡¯s refugee agency.
The comments have drawn criticism, with some social media users pushing the hashtag #BoycottUniqlo. Ukraine¡¯s ambassador to Japan, Sergiy Korsunsky, also criticized the retailer on Twitter. In an interview with Bloomberg News on Wednesday, Korsunsky said ¡°the more companies that withdraw from Russia, the better.¡±
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