Uniqlo operator set to be world's 2nd largest clothing firm on strong sales

TOKYO - Fast Retailing Co., the operator of the Uniqlo clothing chain, appears on course to overtake Sweden's H&M Hennes & Mauritz AB as the world's second-largest apparel manufacturer and retailer after posting another year of robust global sales.

Fast Retailing's sales during the just-ended business year through August came to 3.96 trillion yen ($25 billion), up 16.6 percent from the previous year, while net profit surged 25.3 percent to a record 542.52 billion yen.