Jiyu Completely Withdraws from Korean Stores After 1 Year and 8 Months (Comprehensive)

[Asia Economy Reporter Yujin Cho] The Japanese manufacturing and distribution integrated (SPA) brand Jiyu will withdraw its stores from Korea just 1 year and 8 months after entering the market. This is attributed to the combined effects of the Japan boycott movement that ignited in August last year and the COVID-19 pandemic.

On the 21st, FRL Korea announced that it will cease operations of Jiyu's three offline stores in Korea around August and continue business only through online channels.

Jiyu opened its first store in Korea in September 2018 on the B1 floor of Lotte World Mall, followed by a second store at Suji Lotte Mall in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, and a third store at Times Square in Yeongdeungpo, Seoul. Currently, it operates three offline stores and an online store.

An FRL Korea official explained, "Considering various factors such as the impact of COVID-19 and the need for changes in the business structure including e-commerce, we decided to stop operating offline stores in Korea around August."

The Jiyu online store will operate until the end of July, and after a preparation period, some products will be sold through the Uniqlo online store, which is under FRL Korea.

The Japanese SPA brand Jiyu is a sister company of Uniqlo and belongs to the Jiyu division of FRL Korea, the Korean subsidiary of Uniqlo.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.