经济学人商业||创造商业神话的优衣库老板柳井正
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导读
优衣库的发展历史
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听力|精读|翻译|词组
Back to basics
回归基础款
英文部分选自TE20190209中Business版块
UNIQLO
优衣库
Back to basics
回归基础款
The third-largest clothing retailer wants to dominate the world from Asia
世界第三大服装零售商希冀立足亚洲，引领全球
The essential Mr Yanai
坚守基础款的柳井正
When asked what guides his vision of Uniqlo, Tadashi Yanai, its founder and chief executive, pulls off the shelf the 1987 autumn/winter collection catalogue of Next, a mass-market British retailer. All of the clothes are so classic, he says, that they could be worn today. While Inditex of Spain, which owns Zara, and Hennes & Mauritz of Sweden, the world’s two largest clothing retailers, slavishly follow fashion trends, uniqlo, the main brand of the third-largest, Fast Retailing, of Japan, sticks to timeless basics.
被问及创办优衣库的契机时，其创始人兼总经理柳井正（Tadashi Yanai）从架上取下一本英国大众服装行业零售商Next1987年秋冬商品目录，回答道，这本目录里的衣服款式都相当经典，即使在今天也不过时。全球最大的两家服装零售商，西班牙品牌InditexZara和瑞典品牌H&M，在盲目跟风，紧追时尚潮流之时；世界第三大服装品牌，日本迅销公司旗下的优衣库，则紧紧盯住永不过时的基础款。
Mr Yanai has a solid base at home from which to expand into his Western competitors’ main markets of Europe and America. But instead his priority remains Asia. He wants to turn uniqlo into the world’s largest clothing retailer by becoming the first Asian “spa” or speciality store retailer of private-label apparel. “Asia is the engine of growth today,” he says, pointing to the millions of consumers across the region who are reaching the middle class. Uniqlo will open its first shop in India this year and is considering whether to expand into Vietnam and other countries (it has already opened networks of shops in Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand).
柳井在日本国内打下的坚实基础，足以让优衣库向欧美扩张，抢占西方竞争对手的主要市场。然而，他却依然优先部署亚洲市场，希望把优衣库发展为亚洲首家“spa”,自有品牌服装专业零售商，从而将其打造成世界最大的服装零售商。柳井表示，亚洲地区有数百万的消费者正在晋升为中产阶级，这一地区已然是当今世界发展的引擎。按计划，今年优衣库会在印度开设第一家实体门店，且在考虑进驻越南及其他亚洲国家（此前，优衣库已经在印度尼西亚、新加坡和泰国开设了网店）。
The success or not of uniqlo’s overseas operations matters greatly to investors at home. Fast Retailing’s shares—Mr Yanai owns just over 20% of the firm—have been rising since 2015, largely, analysts reckon, owing to its international expansion and improved logistics. At home the firm is closing stores because the population is shrinking. Fast Retailing’s operating profit in the year to August 2018 was ¥236.2bn ($2.15bn), the bulk of which is made up by uniqlo. Last year uniqlo’s international revenue overtook its domestic sales for the first time and its foreign operating profit almost equalled its Japanese equivalent.
优衣库海外业务的成败与国内投资者的收益息息相关。自2015年以来，迅销公司的股价不断攀升，分析者认为，这归功于日益完善的物流和优衣库的国际扩张，不过，柳井只持有迅销20%多的股份。在日本国内，人口不断萎缩，迅销公司正在四处关闭门店。2018年截至8月份，该公司运营利润为2362亿日元（合21.5亿美元），优衣库贡献良多。去年优衣库国际收入首次超过国内销售额，同时海外运营利润几乎与国内持平。
注释：
迅销公司（Fast Retailing Co., Ltd.，ファーストリテイリング，东证1部：9983）是日本的零售控股公司。持有的品牌包括知名的UNIQLO（优衣库），以及ASPESI、Comptoir des Cotonniers、Foot Park、National Standard等。是一个以零售为主，通过整合与兼并不同特色且极具发展潜力的国际企业来实现高收益、高增长的跨国集团。
uniqlo has a strong Asian foothold by way of China, home to over half its overseas shops. China contributed around 70% of total international revenues last year. This success has surprised some, and not only because of ill-feeling towards Japan from many Chinese because of the latter’s wartime record. China is not an easy place to work, and, in clothing at least, Chinese consumers tend to revere brands. But even the label-obsessed need plain bits and bobs for layering or co-ordination. Chinese consumers are after quality, and uniqlo’s special fabrics, especially its Heat tech range for cold weather, function well. Above all analysts point to the company’s savvy Japan-educated Chinese executives who understand both the culture of the Japanese business and that of China.
优衣库过半的海外门店都在中国，在亚洲稳稳站住了脚跟。去年中国贡献了其全球总收入的70%左右。这一成功出乎一些人的意料，这不仅仅是因为许多中国人因日本战时记录而对其不满。中国也不是一个易于运作的市场，至少在服装领域，中国消费者崇尚品牌。但即使是标签控也需要朴实无华的零七碎八以作打底或搭配。中国消费者追求服装质量，而优衣库选用特殊面料，尤其是其应对寒冷季节的自发热保暖内衣系列，功能良好。分析者指出，最重要的是该公司受过日本教育的中国高管经验丰富，兼具中日两国商业文化知识。
But the rest of Asia may be harder to crack. For one thing, a warm climate in several countries means that uniqlo cannot rely on its cold-weather products as a main driver of sales. It may have to tweak its formula, which could be risky, says Takahiro Saito, a fashion-retail analyst and author of a book comparing uniqlo and Zara.
但是除中国以外的亚洲地区可能很难突破。一方面，在气候温暖的国家，优衣库无法依靠冬季产品作为销售主力。时尚零售业分析师齐藤隆弘（Takahiro Saito）撰写过一本书比较优衣库与Zara。他认为，优衣库可能不得不调整销售模式，风险也或将伴随其中。
Though they are very different markets, Europe and America offer a cautionary tale. uniqlo in America struggled outside the big cities of the east and west coasts. Growth in the heartlands remains elusive for uniqlo both there and in Europe. In part that is because the same business model exists there already with firms such as Gap, says Mr Saito. But uniqlo could do better at explaining what it does. Well thought-out partnerships with ambassadors, such as tennis player Roger Federer, and collaborations with designers, like Jil Sander, are starting to help.
尽管欧洲与美国两个市场截然不同，却给优衣库提供了相同的警示案例。该品牌在美国东西海岸大城市以外的地区苦苦挣扎，在美国及欧洲核心地区的销量依然不见增长。齐藤认为一定程度上源于此类地区已存在诸如Gap等具有类似商业模式的公司。但是优衣库在解释品牌理念方面能做的更好。譬如与网球运动员罗杰·费德勒（Roger Federer）等品牌大使的合作，与吉尔．桑达（Jil Sander）等设计师的合作；这些经过深思熟虑的合作模式，渐渐开始发挥作用。
注释：
Jil Sander 吉尔.桑达 服装设计师，简洁美学大师。
https://baike.baidu.com/item/吉尔·桑达/4192336
Mr Yanai, an ardent fan of globalisation unlike many Japanese executives (the firm’s working language is English and many employees, even in Japan, are foreign), is confident that he can guide uniqlo through the changes needed. He also talks of expanding into shoes as well as dresses and skirts, where uniqlo currently has only slim offerings.
柳井正，与许多日本高管不同（优衣库的工作语言是英语，即使在日本公司，也有很多雇员是外国人），是全球化的热烈支持者，对于指导优衣库完成变革充满信心。他还谈到，目前优衣库的产品过于单薄，要丰富产品系列涵盖鞋类、连衣裙及短裙。
The backlash against globalisation is the biggest risk to uniqlo’s Asian plans, he says. It could limit free movement of goods and people, disrupting both supply chains and workers. Still, a Japanese firm that has managed as much foreign success as uniqlo should be able to cope.
柳井正也表示对全球化的强烈抵制是优衣库亚洲计划面临的最大风险 。这种抵制会限制货物及人工的自由流动，破坏供应链扰乱人员调配。然而，在海外取得辉煌成就的优衣库当有能力妥善应对。
翻译组：
Ema, 女，外贸民工，经济学人粉丝
Hikali，女，商科在读，英语日语死忠粉
Louise，女，会计民工，经济学人爱好者
校核组：
Li Xia, 女， 爱爬山的健身小白， 美食狂人
Fmss，女，心藏文科的理科生一枚，语言爱好者
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观点|评论|思考
本次观点由VeRy独家奉献
VeRy，男，电气民工，经济学人资浅爱好者
一开始，优衣库和ZARA与H&M（以下简写为Z&H）就可能执著着不同的理念，如同每个人的观念各有不同一样，优衣库像极了老实本分人，一心只想把产品做好，实用至上，对于面料和款型剪裁的要求比较高，历年的款式区别不大（当然也有我最爱的优衣库UT系列，简直就是赤果果的抢钱呀）。反观Z&H，追求的是款式的时尚性，几乎各大时尚周刚过，店里立马就有类似款出现了，抄作业的速度和水平是相当得高，对于服饰本身的舒适度和质量就略显尴尬了。其实他们针对的用户群本来就不是在一个频道上的：一个追求耐穿实用，一个追求个性时尚。粗略思考下觉得Z&H应该能赚更多的钱，毕竟时尚的衣服流转快呀，几乎很短时间就要换新的了，会卖得更好。
但生活的经验告诉我，在不那么浮躁的社会里，追求质量，实用的公司，往往会活得更久一些，就好像男人总是会青睐二十岁左右的貌美女子，但是最后讨老婆还是要娶个勤俭持家的一样道理。对于大部分人而言，时尚不能当饭吃，总还是要回归生活，面对每天的柴米油盐，自然实用和耐用是最重要的。
幸好世界足够大，能够容得下各种的人和各种公司，这也就是大城市里为什么总有一群从事极小众工作的人能够活下来。世界上追求时尚的人足够多，自然可以容得下各类以此为生的公司。可能有人会问，为什么这些公司不兼而有之呢：既做时尚，又做实用？我想他们大概早就在这么做了，但是人们脑海中企业的形象是很难被修改的，就好像索尼都是黑科技，乐视都是忽悠，百度都是骗子，任天堂都是世界的主宰等等吧。（这些其实只是我大脑里的企业形象，看官莫当真）
最后我斗胆预言下，排除非商业的因素，优衣库应该会比Z&H要活得更久一些，至于原因么，我想普通老百姓总是更多一些。
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愿景
小组
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