Fast fashion fans rejoice!

Hanoians can finally enjoy what their counterparts in Saigon have had for months, as the capital's first Uniqlo is set to open in early March, VnExpress reports.

The outlet will be inside the Vincom Center Pham Ngoc Thanh in Dong Da District. At 2,500 square meters, it will be among the largest in Southeast Asia, behind stores in Manila, Singapore and Saigon.

Uniqlo hopes to open three more locations in Hanoi by the end of this year, and will also provide free face masks and hand wash to shoppers amid concerns over the Covid-19 outbreak. When Uniqlo opened in Saigon in December, lines formed as early as 4am, and queues remained in place at the entrance for several weeks.

As of 2019, the Japanese fast fashion brand had 213 stores in Southeast Asia, and plans to increase this figure to 400 by 2022. Globally, Uniqlo runs more than 2,200 outlets in 24 countries and territories.

Vietnam News adds that Nguyen Duc Chung, chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee, med with Uniqlo Vice President Koyama Noriaki last week to discuss the brand's arrival in the city.

Chung suggested that the retailer work with Vietnam's textile and garment industry, while Noriaki stated that his company plans to recruit employees from local universities.

[Top photo via Creative Commons]