Fast Retailing Co., operator of the rapidly growing Uniqlo chain of clothing stores, recorded the largest declared income among companies closing their books in August 2000, replacing Hikari Tsushin Inc., which slipped to second, Teikoku Databank said Thursday.
The chain store operator, which was ranked fourth the previous year, reported some 58.53 billion yen in declared income, a 4.3-fold rise, the private credit research agency said.
It said the number of Uniqlo's outlets expanded to 433 as of the end of last August from 368 a year earlier, reflecting its nationwide popularity.
Fast Retailing's earnings also benefited from cost-cutting, Teikoku Databank said.
Hikari Tsushin was ranked second, with its declared income increasing 48.6 percent from a year earlier to 28.86 billion yen, mainly on gains from stock sales, it said.
Sanyo Bussan Co., a Nagoya-based pachinko machine maker, was third, followed by Amway Japan Ltd. and Shimachu Co., a chain store operator specializing in furniture, it said.