Just like jolly old St. Nick who set up shop in the North to prepare all those Christmas treats, fashion brand Uniqlo, chose the North—SM City North Edsa to be exact—as the location of its second store in the country.

And as expected, crowds of fashion savvy-shoppers once again lined up to get first dibs on the new stocks and discounted items during the store’s opening week sale. 

“We chose Quezon City, primarily because of its location,” Uniqlo managing director Katsumi Kubota told The Manila Times in an interview. “SM City North EDSA is a top-of-mind choice for shopping and leisure activities in northern Metro Manila. It is very popular mall and has such a great history. They were also very generous to give us a very nice and big space that is very convenient for our shoppers,” he added.

Kubota notes they were very happy about how Filipinos accepted the brand when Uniqlo first opened its store at the SM Mall of Asia. 

“We were very confident about the Philippine market, but this was much, much better than we expected. It was a very happy surprise for us.’

Asked why he thinks the brand became such a hit in the country, he answered; “Uniqlo is a brand that is ‘Made for All,’ meaning we have designed clothes for anyone and for every member of the family. We are also proud of our quality. Our items are also fashionable yet very affordable, so I think those reasons makes it easier for our Filipino friends to experience Uniqlo.

For this coming holiday season, Kubota says their best sellers are the men’s and ladies jeans and casual pants, the polo shirts and their UT collection, a line of Japanese inspired t-shirts. Their new Fall/Winter collection of fleece jackets and flannel shirts have also become big hits in the country. He also urges shoppers to also try their signature “HeatTech” items—clothing that warms you up during the cold holiday weather, absorbing excess perspiration and wicks it away. 

Although Kubota says they don’t have immediate plans of putting shops outside Manila in the near future, he did say that they are preparing four more stores in Manila by August of next year. 

The Philippines is the 12th branch outside of Japan where UNIQLO has presence, after opening stores in he US, UK, France, Russia, China, South Korea, Hong Kong and Taiwan. UNIQLO also operates stores in other countries in Southeast Asia such as Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore.

The Uniqlo store is located at the second floor of the SM City North EDSA.