Uniqlo opens first Winnipeg store

A lineup of Winnipeggers greeted the city’s newest store Friday morning.

Japanese retailer Uniqlo officially opened its first event store in Winnipeg at CF Polo Park, with more than 1,200 people lining up to be the first inside the store

“Winnipeg people are always excited to be first and be a part of something, and we think that’s great,” said Peter Havens, general manager of CF Polo Park. “We lean into that, we really embrace that.”

“The sheer volume of people here in line waiting for Uniqlo to open just is indicative of the pent-up demand and the anticipation,” said Mayor Scott Gillingham. “Uniqlo is an international brand. Winnipeg has been waiting for a long time to see a store. I think it says a lot that Uniqlo is choosing to invest in Winnipeg.”

Whitney Martyniuk, Uniqlo Canada’s marketing director, said Canada has been one of the places the company has been looking to expand its presence. Winnipeg’s store is the 37th in Canada.

“We have a very aggressive plan for the next several years to open more stores, but Winnipeg was the one market where we had a really large online presence, people shopping online, so there was a demand,” she said.

Havens said there are approximately 85 employees working at the store.

The company will also open a store at St. Vital Centre at a later date this year, in the same space that once held the Hudson’s Bay Company.