Second, Uniqlo brands its innovations. This provides substance to its quality and performance positioning and sets it apart from most price-driven, value retailers. One of their signature innovations is HeatTech, a fabric developed in conjunction with a material science firm that turns moisture into heat and has air pockets in the fabric to retain that heat. The HeatTech fabric is thin, comfortable and enables stylish designs very different from the standard for warmth clothing. The HeatTech innovation keeps improving over time with new fiber technology. In 2003, 1.5 million HeatTech products were sold while in 2012 over 130 million units were sold over 250 items. Not to mention their AIRism (a stretchy fabric) and Lifewear (a blend between casual and sportswear) technologies and more. All are branded, which means competitors have an uphill struggle to match this point of differentiation.