GU (retailer)

G.U. (ジーユー) is a Japanese discount casual wear designer, manufacturer and retailer, with 451 stores across Japan. It is fully owned by the company Fast Retailing, which is better known as the owner of the retail chain Uniqlo. The name is a pun of the word jiyū (自由), meaning "liberty, freedom" (from high cost clothing). Its signature product is a pair of jeans, which costs 990 yen. there are 472 locations.

History
GU opened its first shop in Chiba in October 2006 as a more affordable concept in fashion than Uniqlo. In 2013, the company opened its first overseas shop in Shanghai. In 2018, G.U. opened its first store in South Korea. In 2022, G.U. opened its first pop-up store in the United States at New York City. G.U. announced that it will open its first flagship store outside Asia in New York City at the SoHo area this fall. The pop-up store, which opened in 2022, will be closed at the end of 2024.