In March 1949, Ogori Shōji, a Yamaguchi-based company, was founded in Ube, Yamaguchi. It had been operating men's clothing shops called 'Men's Shop OS' until then.

In the 1950s, Uniqlo started as a single menswear store in Japan.

Uniqlo, initially known as Unique Clothing Warehouse, was established. Tadashi Yanai's focus on understanding customer needs rather than just selling products was crucial to the success of the company.

UNIQLO was founded in 1974 with the belief that simple, well-designed clothes can benefit everyone, leading to a better world.

Uniqlo was founded in Japan in 1984 and has since expanded globally. It has become Japan's largest clothing retailer with over 700 stores in the country.

On 2 June 1984, a unisex casual wear store was opened in Fukuro-machi, Naka-ku, Hiroshima, under the name 'Unique Clothing Warehouse'.

Uniqlo founder Yani announced plans to open 500 stores over the next five years, with a focus on expanding into the Chinese market.

In 1985, Uniqlo opened its first roadside store in Japan, marking the beginning of its expansion into a global brand.

In 1988, during administration work in Hong Kong for registering the brand, the 'C' in the contracted name 'Unique Clothing' was misread as 'Q', leading to the name change to 'Uniqlo' across Japan.

Uniqlo experienced significant growth in Japan during the 1990s.

In September 1991, the name of the company was changed from 'Ogori Shōji' to 'Fast Retailing'.

In 1993, Tadashi shifted all production of Uniqlo clothing to China, marking an unprecedented move for a Japanese company. This decision aimed to reduce production costs and increase profits.

By 1994, Uniqlo, which was rebranded by Tadashi from his father's clothing retailer, had expanded to 100 stores in Japan.

In 1997, Fast Retailing adopted a set of strategies from American retailer The Gap, known as 'SPA' (specialty-store/retailer of private-label apparel), which involved producing their own clothing and selling it exclusively.

By 1998, Uniqlo had over 300 stores in Japan and had sold two million units of their fleece jacket within a year, leading to significant business growth and recognition.

By 1998, Uniqlo had expanded to over 300 stores.

Uniqlo conducted its initial public offering in Tokyo in 1999, marking a significant milestone in the company's financial history.

In 2000, Uniqlo launched its own online store, expanding its reach and providing customers with a new way to access its products.

In 2001, Uniqlo established its first office outside Japan in London, signaling the company's expansion into international markets.

On June 14, 2001, Uniqlo made the decision to embark on global expansion, with the UK being one of the initial target markets for opening stores.

Uniqlo initiated its expansion into the UK on December 26, 2001.

Within 18 months of its global expansion, Uniqlo closed 16 of its London stores and all three New Jersey locations due to fierce competition from American retailers and challenges with sizing metrics.

The first Uniqlo store opens its doors to customers in Shanghai in 2002.

On June 28, 2003, Uniqlo closed some of its stores due to their small size and unfavorable locations in the suburbs of cities.

Due to the small size and suburban locations of most stores, Uniqlo closed the majority of its UK stores in 2003.

In 2004, Uniqlo made innovation its top priority. They introduced cashmere and thermal garments made from a new fabric called HeatTech, aiming to enhance their product offerings.

Uniqlo implemented a new strategy of opening large stores in major cities around the world.

On November 1, 2005, Fast Retailing transferred the business related to clothing manufacturing and retailing to Sun Road Co., Ltd., which then changed its name to Uniqlo Co., Ltd.

Uniqlo opened more stores internationally, increasing the number from 54 to 92, including flagship stores in London and Paris.

Uniqlo began its relaunch in November 2006 with the opening of a flagship store in New York.

In 2007, Uniqlo expanded its presence in Asia, with 26 stores. By the end of 2010, the number of stores had increased to 64.

On December 26, 2007, Uniqlo expanded its stores in Asia.

On November 26, 2008, the number of international stores for Uniqlo increased from 54 to 92 over the next two years, including flagship stores in London and Paris.

In April 3, 2009, Uniqlo hired the German designer Jil Sander, signifying a strategic move in the fashion industry.

Uniqlo opened its first store in Singapore on 9 April 2009 in Tampines 1, and later opened a new store at Tampines Mall on 5 February 2021, following the closure of the former store on 17 January 2021.

On September 2, 2009, Fast Retailing announced ambitious sales and profit targets for Uniqlo, aiming to become the world's biggest specialty retailer of private label apparel by 2020.

In 2010, Uniqlo establishes a subsidiary in Taiwan, further expanding its presence in the region.

The collection of Jil Sander went on sale in selected stores, resulting in Uniqlo making profits of 49.8 billion.

Uniqlo opened its first store in Taiwan on 5 October 2010 at Hankyu Department Store in Taipei.

On 4 November 2010, Uniqlo opened its first store in Malaysia, in Fahrenheit 88 located in Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur. As of October 2021, Uniqlo now has 48 outlets located across Malaysia, including an online store.

Uniqlo opened its first store in Thailand on the 9th of September 2011 at Central World.

On 11 November 2011, Uniqlo's flagship store in central Seoul generated more than 2 billion won ($1.7 million) in one day's sales, setting the highest sales figure ever by a fashion outlet in Korea.

Uniqlo opened a G.U. store in Tokyo in 2012, in addition to its flagship store. The concept of G.U. involves selling low-price, basic branded clothing, sometimes in collaboration with designers like Philip Lim and Alexander Wang.

Uniqlo's first store in the Philippines opened at the SM Mall of Asia on 15 June 2012. On its sixth anniversary, the company opened its flagship store in the country at Glorietta 5 in Makati, it opened on 5 October 2018.

On September 27, 2012, Uniqlo collaborated with Japanese tech retailer Bic Camera to open a store in Shinjuku called Bicqlo, which later became a regular Bic Camera store.

In 2013, Uniqlo acquired Adam Scott and Novak Djokovic as global brand ambassadors. The brand also opened its 10th flagship store in Hong Kong and the 11th flagship store in Shanghai.

On 22 June 2013, Uniqlo opened its first Indonesian store at Lotte Mall (formerly Lotte Shopping Avenue), Ciputra World 1, Jakarta. It has expanded to 69 stores as of March 2024, spreading across various cities in Indonesia.

In 2014, Uniqlo was recognized as the Retailer of the Year by the World Retail Congress.

Uniqlo's German flagship store opened on 11 April 2014 at Tauentzienstraße, Berlin, marking a significant expansion into the German market.

In January 2015, a number of labor rights violations were reported at Uniqlo suppliers in China, leading to pledges from Uniqlo to remedy the violations.

In 2015, Uniqlo launched the Magic for All project in partnership with Disney. They also established Wearex Co, Ltd with Accenture plc to enhance IT systems and continued their partnership with Toray Industries for functional materials.

The first Belgian Uniqlo store opened in October 2015 at Meir, Antwerp, marking its entry into the Belgian market.

The first Global Flagship Store of Uniqlo opened on 2 September 2016 at Orchard Central, replacing 313 @ Somerset.

Uniqlo opened their first Canadian store at the Toronto Eaton Centre on 30 September 2016, marking its entry into the Canadian market.

19 October 2017 saw the opening of a third store in Brussels, further expanding Uniqlo's presence in Belgium.

Uniqlo collaborated with Engineered Garments to release limited and in-demand products, such as fleeces, which were still incredibly affordable, priced at under $100. This collaboration showcased Uniqlo's ability to offer high-quality items at affordable prices.

In 2018, tennis player Roger Federer became Uniqlo's third global brand ambassador.

Uniqlo has expanded globally and now operates 1,900 stores worldwide, making it a significant player in the fast fashion retail industry.

The first Dutch Uniqlo store was opened at the Kalverstraat in Amsterdam on 28 September 2018. As of August 2021, a second store was opened at the Grote Marktstraat in The Hague.

On June 3, 2019, artist KAWS participated in the KAWS x UNIQLO UT collection launch, adding a subversive art touch to Uniqlo's trademark collections.

On 17 October 2019, Uniqlo officially arranged the first store in Vietnam, which is expected to open at the end of 2019 in District 1, the center of Ho Chi Minh City, marking its entry into the Vietnamese market.

A location opened on 23 October 2020 at the Montreal Eaton Centre in part of the former Eaton's store, marking the first Uniqlo location in Quebec, Canada.

On 6 December 2020, Uniqlo's flagship store in Myeong-dong was closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and anti-Japanese protests.

On 9 April 2021, Uniqlo opened its Indonesian flagship and most iconic store at Pondok Indah Mall 3, Jakarta.

On 28 October 2022, Uniqlo opened its first roadside store in Indonesia at Heritage Lifestyle Hub in Bandung, West Java, thus becoming the sixth country outside Japan to get a Uniqlo roadside store.

The second Uniqlo roadside store as well as its first neighborhood store in Indonesia opened at One District at Puri in Metland Cyber Puri in Tangerang, Banten on 26 May 2023.

Uniqlo opened a store in Ottawa on 16 June 2023, expanding its presence in the Canadian retail market.

On August 16, 2023, Uniqlo announced a collaboration with designer Clare Waight Keller, launching a fall collection across 1,500 stores globally as well as online.

Uniqlo opened a store in Calgary on 25 August 2023, further expanding its reach in the Canadian retail market.

Uniqlo opened its first store in the Australian capital Canberra on 26 October 2023 in Canberra Centre, further expanding its reach in Australia.

As of 15 November 2023, there are 36 stores in Australia including in Perth, Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney, and Canberra, indicating a significant presence of Uniqlo in the Australian retail market.

It was reported in 2023 that Uniqlo would open the first Scottish flagship store in Edinburgh on Princes Street in the former BHS building which is set to open in Spring 2024.