Fast Retailing, the world’s third largest apparel company behind the brand Uniqlo, threw down the gauntlet against world number two Hennes & Mauritz, opening its first store in H&M’s home market of Sweden, as it makes further inroads in Europe.
世界第三大服装公司迅销公司旗下拥有优衣库品牌，最近在H&M的本国市场开了第一家专卖店，向世界排名第二的品牌H&M发起了挑战，同时向欧洲市场又迈进了一步。

“This is a big step toward becoming a global brand,” Chairman and CEO Tadashi Yanai said. He usually spends his summer in Hawaii through the end of August but this year he has been in Stockholm to prepare for the store opening.
主席兼首席执行官Tadashi Yanai说：“这是朝着全球品牌迈出的一大步。”他经常在夏威夷避暑到8月末，但今年他却一直待在斯德哥尔摩准备专卖店的开业事宜。

More than 1,000 people lined up at the store in Sweden’s capital. “I was impressed with the variety of items anyone can wear regardless of age,” said a 20-year old college student who bought a sweater.
1,000多人在瑞典首都的店外排起了队，一个20岁的大学生买了一件毛衣，他说：“这里衣服的款式给我留下了深刻印象，不分年龄谁都可以穿。”

The store highlights Fast Retailing’s clear focus on Europe of late. The company last fall opened its first store in Spain, the home of world number one clothier Inditex, known for its Zara brand.
这家店突显了迅销公司最近对欧洲明显的关注，去年秋季该公司在西班牙开了第一家分店，西班牙有世界排名第一的服装制造商Inditex，其著名品牌是Zara。

Uniqlo generates only 4% of its global sales in Europe. And Fast Retailing has had a bitter experience in the region. It opened its first overseas store in the U.K. back in 2001 riding a boom for fleece clothing and quickly increased the U.K. store count to over 20, only to shutter 16 locations in 2003 due to continued losses.
优衣库在欧洲的销量只占其全球销量的4%。迅销公司在欧洲曾有过一次痛苦的经历，2001年在英国开设了第一家海外分店，羊绒服装的销量激增，很快在英国开设到20多家分店，但2003年由于持续亏损就关闭了16家。

“We were arrogant and took the challenge lightly,” Yanai said in retrospect.
Yanai回忆时说：“我们当时过于自负，轻易地就接受了挑战。”

Fast Retailing has since cultivated its European presence steadily, making its debut in Germany in 2014. But the store count in Europe was a mere 75 at the end of July.
从那以后迅销公司在欧洲稳步发展，2014年在德国首次亮相，但截止七月底欧洲分店只有75家。

Three quarters of the 2,057 Uniqlo stores are in Japan and China. And 186 are in South Korea.
2,057家优衣库专卖店中3/4都正在日本和中国，还有186家在韩国。

Given the similar body types and climates in the neighboring markets, it is more efficient for Fast Retailing to put in resources there than in Europe.
邻国市场人们的身材和气候和日本相似，所以迅销公司在邻国要比在欧洲更容易施展拳脚。

But establishing a solid presence in Europe, the fashion capital of the world, is a vital step for Fast Retailing to enter a new stage of growth.
但在世界时尚之都欧洲站稳脚跟才是迅销公司想要迈入新的发展阶段的重要一步。

Fast Retailing is confident of its offerings, including the quick dry and heat retention features. But the challenge is to have people in Europe exposed to Uniqlo clothes so they can pick up and feel the clothes in person.
迅销公司对自己的产品非常自信，包括其速干和保暖的特点，但其面临的挑战是要让欧洲人接触到优衣库的衣服，他们才能亲自去挑选并亲身感受到服装质量。

The business landscape presents an opportunity for Fast Retailing to make it big in Europe. Although Inditex has performed well, H&M’s sales have declined as consumers increasingly feel that the design and quality do not measure up to the price.
商业大环境为迅销公司提供了在欧洲发展壮大的机会。虽然Inditex公司销售仍然很好，但H&M销量有所下滑，消费者越来越感觉从设计和质量来看，该品牌的衣服并非物有所值。