Uniqlo, the Japanese clothing chain has leveraged its prowess in mass production to build a fashion empire filled with shelves upon shelves of affordable, good quality items like down jackets, underwear and T-shirts. The retailer is now aiming to beat Western giants like Gap, H&M and Zara to become the world's biggest apparel maker. In the overcrowded, highly competitive casual fashion market, size is important but no guarantee of success. Analysts say Uniqlo's challenge is to carve out a brand identity of its own, going beyond its formula of delivering no-nonsense quality at good prices.

Interbrand ranks Uniqlo as Japan's most valuable retail brand, and eighth among Japan's global brands, including Toyota, Sony and Nintendo. The company's founder and chief, Tadashi Yanai, is Japan's richest man, according to Forbes magazine.

Analysts say that to move it its next stage of growth, Uniqlo also needs to beef up its digital presence and adapt to non-Asian markets. Winning over the huge market of suburban American shoppers will be crucial.