Uniqlo owner Fast Retailing pledges to donate 10 million surgical masks to fight Covid-19 globally

By

Kanako NISHIO

Translated by
Isabelle Crossley

Published
Mar 27, 2020

Apparel brand Uniqlo’s parent company Fast Retailing has pledged to donate 10 million surgical masks to medical institutions around the world in response to the global spread of coronavirus.

With full cooperation from the business’ factory in China, Fast Retailing has turned its activities towards the production of surgical masks. Through the Japanese government, Fast Retailing will provide approximately one million surgical masks to institutions that urgently need them in the country such as medical institutions and care homes. In the future, the business will also consider providing other support measures in Japan in accordance with demand. 
 
Following requests from relevant authorities, the business will also donate one million masks to Italy, which is currently the country the most severely affected by the virus in the world, and to the US, where the number of confirmed coronavirus cases is increasing rapidly. From late March, the business plans to sequentially distribute the masks to medical institutions through the state governments of Milan and New York.

The business will also offer masks as required to European countries such as Spain, Germany, France, and the UK where the numbers of confirmed cases are continuing to increase, South Korea, which has one of the highest number of cases in Asia, and to other countries and regions. This will be carried out after calculating and understanding relevant needs through local corporations in the respective areas.
 
Uniqlo, Fast Retailing’s core brand, currently counts more than 2,000 brick-and-mortar stores in 24 countries. Last September, the brand opened a flagship store in Milan to establish a presence in Italy. Since January, when Covid-19 began to spread throughout the world, the business has continued to lend support by providing healthcare for medical professionals and making donations to local NGOs among other initiatives in areas including China, South Korea, and Southeast Asia among others. 
 
In addition to Fast Retailing’s work, apparel manufacturers and luxury brands from around the world have begun to support measures to counter coronavirus including Prada, LVMH, and Kering among others which have begun to produce masks and disinfectants. Canada Goose and Gap also recently announced that they will produce surgical masks. The fashion industry has come up with a large amount of funding and donations as well as campaigns to lend support during this difficult time.