When UNIQLO CEO Tadashi Yanai set his sights on the US in 2007, the fast-fashion retailer that combined the back-to-basics approach of American Apparel, the competitive pricing of Old Navy, and the foreign edge of a Zara or H&M, was already "a retail juggernaut in Japan, with 760 stores in six countries, 20,000 employees, and earnings of US$ 3.5 billion in 2004," as we noted.

The Fast Retailing Co.-owned brand, whose name is derived from "unique clothes," is now the leading global Japanese retail holding company (and Yanai its richest citizen), posting global sales of 820 billion yen for its 2011 fiscal year, making it the world’s fourth largest apparel retail company and a true innovator thanks to its Heattech heat-generating fabric.

That innovation is now being turned to help individuals affected by Super Storm Sandy as the northeastern US braces for winter cold. The brand announced today that it has just kicked off United in Warmth to bring about just that. The 10-week program will donate and distribute 100,000 Heattech items to men, women and children and 10,000 Ultra Light Down jackets to adults affected by Sandy through a 10-week volunteer program on Saturdays, holding true to its brand commitment of “changing clothes, changing conventional wisdom and change the world.”Continue reading...

Early look at new Windows 8 design baffles some users, but not three-year-old Julian, above, as Best Buy starts taking pre-orders for Windows 8 phones and gets ready to launch Surface tablet — and manage expectations ahead of growing thirst for tablets, and Oct. 23rd reveal of Apple's iPad Mini.

Lance Armstrong urges cancer supporters and celeb pals to stand by LiveStrong, as the New York Times and other media detail alleged doping cover-up.

Abercrombie & Fitch CEO sued by former private airline pilot over dismissal and eyebrow-raising requirements.

Apple sued over deal locking iPhone to AT&T network.

AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile will launch Isis mobile wallet on Monday.

Audi may help Mercedes-Benz overtake BMW in US.

Banana Boat recalls sunscreen due to flammability threat.

BBC roiled by "worst crisis in 50 years" and internal strife as its Jimmy Savile sex scandal handling goes public in broadcaster's own Panorama expose.Continue reading...

American Idol crowns winner with record number of votes.

Apple's newly knighted design head Jony Ives "winces" at some past products.

IBM raises concerns about Apple's Siri voice recognition technology, newly touted by John Malkovich.

BMW plans to triple China output.

Deutsche Telekom sale of T-Mobile USA seen as unlikely.

Facebook's botched NASDAQ IPO turns spotlight to NYSE Euronext.

FCC votes today on opening spectrum for wireless medical devices.

Foursquare teams with London 2012 Olympics.

MIT solves ketchup problem that Heinz made famous.

Pizza Hut tests pre-loaded gift cards in India.

President Obama wants U.S. government agencies to launch more mobile apps.

Uniqlo chooses tennis player Novak Djokovic as a brand ambassador.

United and Continental airline merger turbulence affects elite fliers.

Yahoo aims to make Web browsing more visual with Axis launch.

Japanese pro tennis player Kei Nishikori, ranked 26th in the world, made it all the way to the quarterfinals of the Australian Open before being taken down by Andy Murray, the world’s fourth best.

Nishikori’s excellent tournament will raise him up to 20th in the world and surely has a few executives at sponsor Fast Retailing Co. and its famous retail subsidiary, Uniqlo, smiling a whole lot these days, one year into a five-year deal brokered by IMG. The same probably can’t be said for Sony, which didn’t renew a sponsorship deal last November, and Adidas, which wasn’t aggressive enough and lost its deal with Nishikori to Uniqlo.

Even though Nishikori lost the match to Murray, it was likely watched by 55 million more viewers than it would have been if Nishikori wasn’t in it. “Japan’s public broadcaster NHK purchased the rights to air” the match, Bloomberg reports, which grew the viewing audience exponentially.Continue reading...