Japanese fast fashion giant, Uniqlo, has confirmed it will open its first Australian store at Melbourne’s Emporium development in the second quarter of 2014.

The new Uniqlo store will be a premium large-scale store with a sales floor of 2180sqm spread over four floors – two basement floors and two above ground floors.

Designed as a showcase for the Uniqlo brand, the store will offer visitors a full lineup of Uniqlo apparel ranges across mens, womens, kids, and babies.

Shoichi Miyasaka, CEO of Uniqlo Australia and Fast Retailing Group senior VP, said the company is very excited to be opening its first store in Melbourne.

“The city is a great centre of style and we hope to make Uniqlo an essential stop for fashion conscious Melbourne shoppers looking for high quality, affordable clothes.

“Our goal is to build a loyal customer base by offering every visitor the outstanding level of customer service that Uniqlo is known for within Japan, in a comfortable and welcoming shopping environment,” Miyasaka said.

The company has had a Melbourne head office since December 2012.

Uniqlo’s Australian entry marks the latest step in its ongoing international expansion. Since opening its first store in Japan in 1984, Uniqlo has built a network of more than 1200 stores across 14 markets.

It follows Uniqlo store debuts in Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, Thailand, the Philippines, and Indonesia across the Asian region. The company views Australia as a key market in establishing its brand in the Asia and Oceania region and a first step into markets in the southern hemisphere.