Mitchell

Store Manager at UNIQLO Australia
Bachelor of Marketing, Deakin University

My name is Mitch and I joined the UMC program in February 2024 after finishing a Marketing degree form Deakin University. I started off at the UNIQLO Chadstone Store and then transferred to Knox. In February of 2025 i got promoted to become a Store Manager.

Why did you join UNIQLO ?

I joined because UNIQLO is a successful, global and growing company that fosters both professional and personal development. The in-depth training enabled me to grow quickly while feeling supported and respected.

Most enjoyable aspect of the UMC program ?

Collaborating with a diverse, amazing team to achieve common goals is both rewarding and enjoyable. Working with people from around the world has broadened my perspective and boosted my growth.

Most challenging aspect of the UMC program ?

Leading a team from day one as a beginner was highly challenging, but it accelerated my growth. The responsibilityy pushed me to develop leadership skills quickly, leaving me much stronger just six months into the program

Caitlin

Store Manager at UNIQLO Australia
Bachelor of Marketing & Management, The University Of Melbourne

My name is Caitlin and I joined the UMC program in February 2024 at the Northland Store. I then transferred to the Eastland store and got promoted to a Store Manager in February 2025.

Why did you consider UNIQLO and join the UMC Program ?

I joined UNIQLO because I wanted to work for a company that I truly believed in and respected as a consumer above all. After doing some research into UNIQLOs values, I became more familiar with the concept of Lifewear which confirmed my decision to apply for the UMC program. For me, the UMC program sounded unique compared to other graduate programs and I thought it would enable me to use the skills I learnt during my Marketing and Management Degree.

What aspect of the UMC Program do you find most enjoyable ?

I like that on a day to day basis I am always on my feet and there is never a dull moment. I am able to showcase a variety of skills and think in new, different ways every day, surprising myself with what challenges I can overcome when pushed. This job really allows you to understand all aspects of running a business, giving you lots of autonomy to act as real business owner. In this one year alone I have grown not only professionally but personally too, especially being able to grow alongside my team at Eastland.

What are your goals ?

Right now, my goal is to grow my skills in store operation as a brand new store manager. However in the next 5 years I would also love to experience working in the SSC in a team such as BOS or IC. Beyond that, for the next 10 years I see myself contributing to Uniqlo’s expansion and brand awareness through the global opportunities that Uniqlo offers. I hope to get the opportunity to open brand new stores not only in Australia but also internationally as well.

What have you found to be the most challenging aspect of the UMC Program ?

At the very beginning of the program, my biggest challenge was mastering the very basics of retail such as folding and cleaning as I had no prior experience working in retail before the program. Alongside that, it can sometimes be challenging to balance the intensity of the program with life outside of work. However, over the last year I have come to find a balance between work and wellbeing. This job teaches you accountability and resilience and you truly do grow at an exponential rate so it is important to understand the fast paced nature of this job.

Catherine

Store Manager at UNIQLO Australia
Bachelor of Commerce, The University Of New South Wales

My name is Catherine and I joined the UMC program in February 2024 at the Bondi Store. I then transferred to the Parramatta store and got promoted to a Store Manager in February 2025.

Why did you consider UNIQLO and join the UMC Program ?

At first I was mass applying to graduate positions as I was nearing the end of my tertiary education. I majored in strategy, innovation and entrepreneurship, however not many positions available on the market fit into the scopes of what I majored in, until I cam across the UMC program and found that this position was a really good fit for what I wanted in a graduate program, so I decided to give it a try

What aspect of the UMC Program do you find most enjoyable ?

I like the fast paced learning environment. Every day you are learning something new whether it be basic operational skills or more managerial processes. I have been working for UNIQLO for a year now and there is still so much for me to learn, which makes it all the more exciting.

What are your goals at UNIQLO ?

My ultimate goal is UNIQLO Australia's CEO, however, I want to work my way up by working in many different fields in UNIQLO. For example, for my 2 year goal, I want to challenge being an area manager. For my 5 year goal, I want to challenge a position in SSC and for my 10 year goal, I want to challenge higher management.

What have you found to be the most challenging aspect of the UMC Program ?

Given that this program is an express opportunity to store management, there is a lot of pressure not only from the company itself but from myself especially, to do well and to achieve higher. The pressure and the stress has been the most challenging aspect for me, however, constantly pushing myself and overcoming these stresses is what will help me keep achieving what is expected of me, so I regularly tell myself that this is what I need to do if I want to achieve my career goals that I have set up during my time at UNIQLO.

Marissa

Store Manager at UNIQLO Australia
Bachelor of Commerce, Double Major in Accounting and Management, The University Of Melbourne

My name is Marissa and I joined the UMC program in February 2024 at the Northland Store. I then transferred to the Glen and Highpoint Store where i got promoted to a Store Manager in February 2025.

Why did you consider UNIQLO and join the UMC Program ?

The program was very different compared to the normal graduate programs offered by consulting and accounting firms. It allows for a much more hands on approach, development and gives you a broad introduction to the company allowing you to curate your career path

What aspect of the UMC Program do you find most enjoyable ?

I enjoy the fast paced learning and growth. Giving me opportunities to challenge myself constantly. Everyday has its own unique challenges do it encourages you to strategise and be creative. Alongside that I have really enjoyed getting to work alongside my UMC batch as well as learning and getting inspiration from other managers who have gone through the similar challenges.

What are your goals in UNIQLO ?

In the next 2 years my goal is to deeper understand the perfect strategy as a store manager to make my stores number 1 in Australia.

In 5 years I would like to play a role in making Uniqlo Australia a more sustainable brand through local social initiatives.

In 10 years my goal is to open Uniqlo in a new country, such as South America

What have you found to be the most challenging aspect of the UMC Program ?

The most challenging part of the UMC program was also one of my favourite parts of the program. It is the high expectations put on UMCs as future business leaders. You are pushed to learn skills within a year, which typically staff learn over a longer timeframe. The high expectations challenge you but also opens up opportunities and aim high for promotional roles.

Ron

Talent Development Manager at UNIQLO Australia
Bachelor of Business, Graduated from RMIT

My name is Ronald and I joined UNIQLO in March 2013 through UMC Program. I used to be store manager, area manager in both Melbourne and Sydney, now, I’m the manager of UNIQLO Australia Fast Retailing Management Innovation Center, supporting Store Operations and Management teams by designing and providing tailored training of management skills and transferring operational knowledge to all UNIQLO Australia employees.

Why did you join UNIQLO?

Since graduating and working at my previous job I felt like I needed a career that will constantly challenge me and provide meaning beyond more than a regular 9 to 5. When I joined, UNIQLO was relatively unknown in Australia, I wasn’t entirely sure what I was getting myself in to. Having studied International Business, I saw a huge opportunity to develop my career in an up-and-coming brand that I believe still has huge untapped potential in Australia and around the world.

Describe the culture at UNIQLO

Since working at UNIQLO there has never been a dull day. UNIQLO culture is about putting the customers first and dealing with problems head on based on real places and real situations. As a UMC I was always encouraged to constantly learn for myself and think of the store and the business as if it was my own. This creates a culture of everyone being able to think for themselves and not being restricted to simply the roles that they are given. Through constant communication and teamwork, everyone takes on the responsibility of providing the best products, stores, and shopping experience to our customers.

How will UNIQLO support employees' development?

UNIQLO has many measures to track performance and be completely transparent and upfront about your personal development. Through your evaluation sheet, you can clearly see which points you need to acquire to achieve the next level. Each criteria is also broken up into smaller and more manageable points. Your direct manager will always discuss with you your progress. All learning materials are ready and available to anyone to access – from store sales information to manuals and books on management principles. Team members can always make the most of these resources.

In addition, as UMCs have touchpoints with various business units to learn holistically about the UNIQLO Australia business. In addition to working in the store, UMCs also attend things such as new store openings, local conventions, and company meetings. This allows you to bring back firsthand knowledge to implement into your own store to create your own result.

What tips you would give to graduates who want to apply for UNIQLO Graduate Program?

UNIQLO provides you with multiple opportunities every day to challenge and develop your own career. My biggest career advice is to think about the business as your own and never limit yourself in achieving your desired outcomes. You will need to learn everything from the ground up and there will be many challenges ahead but never lose sight of the bigger picture. To be successful in this role, you need to have a genuine interest in customer service, a strong will and desire to achieve your career and business goals and a positive attitude.

Helen

Inventory Manager at UNIQLO Australia
Bachelor of Science and Master of International Business, Graduated from University of Melbourne

My name is Helen, I graduated from The University of Melbourne where I studied Bachelor of Science and Master of International Business. I joined Uniqlo’s UMC program back in 2016 in Melbourne, and is now working in Uniqlo China E-commerce department in charge of inventory control for W’s innerwear.

Why did you join UNIQLO ?

Before joining the UMC program, I already had worked as part of the opening team when we opened our first Uniqlo store in Australia. Even though I was only working on a part time basis, the people I’ve met (managers, supervisors, team mates) were all extremely hardworking and shared a common goal creating the best store for the customers and expanding our business in Australia. I could see and feel the vision our company had for the future, and the endless opportunities that the company is offering to support me in developing my career and achieve my professional goals, therefore I decided to join Uniqlo as UMC after my graduation.

Describe a specific achievement that stands out as a valuable learning experience. How did it contribute to your growth ?

One of the most valuable experiences for me was during the time when I was store manager at Uniqlo Chadstone in 2019, it was the first time where I had to manage more than 150 staff members with $45M turnover per year. It was the first time I had the opportunity to run business in such a big scale. I was not only in charge of personnel/sales floor management, but also given more chances to connect with SSC to also gather more business opportunities with various department including IMD/MD/IC/MKT. This in turn has also further developed my communication skills. Because of the strong effort contributed from all teams, especially my store team members, Chadstone achieved top6 in the Global U1 GP, and was the first store in AU to be ranked within the top10 stores around the world.

What's the difference between working in-store as a Store manager and in SSC (AU) ? How does working in China compare to UNIQLO Australia ?

When I first transferred to Inventory control department, there were many changes if my work routine that I had adjust to. First of all, stores are the centerpiece of our business, and by working in SSC this means, that my role is to fully support stores and store managers to achieve our business objective. This meant a lot of planning head, as well as identify the issues that the stores are facing and working with store mangers to resolve the issues. Because I had been a store manager myself, it was a little bit difficult initially where I couldn’t do everything hands on, and not be able to see first hand whether the direction given was effective or not. However, as I settled more into my roles I understood the importance of giving clear direction and working together with store managers/area managers as well as other departments to achieve our KPI and optimize the store condition.

I have now worked in FRCN for 3 months, in this short 3 months, I have already learnt so much from the team, working through the biggest sales event (Singles Day) gave me the insight of inventory management during the busiest season of the year in China. Different from AU, due to the incredibly huge volume of sales, the preparation for the sales event starts months before the actual event. We were not only working with EC MD team, logistics team, we also had to communicate with company IC team to balance inventory between the large store network in China. The WH network is also more complicated compared to AU, so how we are not only need to look at how to balance inventory between retail stores and EC, but also the various WH around the country. I’m very grateful for the opportunity to be able gain such experience and hope to bring what I have learnt in FRCN back to AU to continue to expand our EC business.

What tips would you give to graduates who want to apply for the UNIQLO Graduate Program ?

Seize every opportunity that you are given, and don’t be afraid to voice out what you want to achieve professionally. Always be proactive when seeking out advices and ask questions to further develop yourself. There will be obstacles along the journey, but it is important to always seek support from your peers or mentor and you will realize you are not on your own.

Chris

Talent Development Assistant Manager at UNIQLO Australia
Bachelor of Commerce (Honours), Graduated from Monash University

My name is Chris and I joined UMC program in March 2019 at the Melbourne EMPORIUM Store. I got promoted to Store Manager of The Docklands store in 2020 and managed there for 6 months before becoming Store Manager of UNIQLO The Glen for 2 years. During that time I got promoted to senior store manager, and was involved in a company wide project to revamp the salesfloor standards and enhance the customer shopping experience. In August 2023, I relocated to Canberra and opened The First UNIQLO store in the ACT. Currently i am working as the Assistant Manager at FRMIC (Fast Retailing Management Innovation Center), where i support with training of management skills to UNIQLO Australia employees.

Why did you join UNIQLO

I joined UNIQLO because I was interested in joining a truly global company. I grew up overseas, so knew first hand how much potential UNIQLO had (still has) in Australia and was keen to join the rapidly expanding business. The UMC program was particularly attractive as it offered a clear and transparent framework to develop into a successful, well-rounded business leader.

What do you enjoy the most as a store manager at UNIQLO?

The most enjoyable aspect of being a UNIQLO store manager is witnessing first hand the positive impact on the community that UNIQLO has wherever it opens a new store. As a store manager, you have total control over your store and are expected to run it as if it were your own. So, the outcome of customer satisfaction is coming directly from your efforts. Similarly, as a top retailer, we attract the top talent, so you get to work/collaborate with like-minded individuals to create truly great results.

Describe a specific achievement that stands out as a valuable learning experience

I had the unique opportunity to open the UNIQLO Canberra store, which was the first venture into the ACT. Opening in a new region, I had complete responsibility in creating a shopfloor that reflected the demands of a new customer base. I was also responsible for recruiting and training a large team of new employees. Through this experience, I was able to gain a more well-rounded understanding of how each department in the Store Support Centre worked through direct involvement with each. Now we are celebrating one year of being open in Canberra (October 2024), and I can reflect back a store that far exceeded profit targets that came as a direct result through our strong teams effort.

What is your future career goal at UNIQLO?

My goal is the make UNIQLO accessible to all Australians to live healthy and happy lives. I truly believe in the power of this company to positively impact everybody's lives by providing functional, affordable, high-quality, fashionable clothing.

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