As shoppers browse through rows of denims and khakis in the casual-apparel store in Guangzhou, China, there’s not much to distinguish it from an everyday GAP or Banana Republic in any U.S. mall – except for the gigantic poster of the UCLA football team that greets each shopper.

The UCLA store in the south of China, one of the latest of its type to open in Asia, reflects a growing trend in which the university is using its name recognition and marketable lifestyle for financial gain around the world.

UCLA is currently finalizing plans to open its newest store in Japan, said Cindy Holmes, the licensing director of UCLA Trademarks and Licensing. Holmes said UCLA still needs to secure a retailer in Japan before the store can open and couldn’t name a definite time frame for the opening.

Over the last 20 years, 15 stores have opened in South Korea and five in mainland China. UCLA also has licensed manufacturers in Singapore, Mexico and parts of Europe.

UCLA makes $400,000 in royalties each year through its international licensing program, Holmes said.

Unlike the UCLA T-shirts, sweatshirts and sporting gear that fill the racks of the UCLA Store in Ackerman Union, the UCLA apparel in the international market targets a wider audience.

Strategies for targeting a wider audience are different than those used to attract students, said Louis Lee, president of Interasia and Associates, a licensing agent for UCLA.

“The difference is mainly because the school products are targets for students and alumni, but for the license program, it’s catered toward a mass audience who are not students or alumni,” Lee said.

In stark contrast to the large letters that scream across apparel in the UCLA Store, sometimes the only UCLA identifier on an article of clothing in an overseas store could be a label or a button. The colors also stray far from the various combinations of blue and gold that adorn the UCLA Store. All products have to be approved by UCLA’s licensing department, Holmes said.

Licensing officials speculate that it is the Southern California lifestyle and the prestige of the UCLA name that make the university namesake so marketable overseas.

“The academic reputation is quite well-known in (the international) society,” Lee said.

The name is especially popular in Asia because of the large population of Asian immigrants that live in the L.A. area, he said.

Holmes also said UCLA’s proximity to the beach, the mountains and Hollywood could contribute to its marketability.

UCLA has the largest overseas licensing program among colleges in the country, Holmes said, noting that UCLA is a popular tourist site.

Some UCLA students who have lived in Asian countries agree that UCLA was popular among their friends.

“UCLA is definitely one of the more popular universities in Singapore versus other lesser-known schools,” said Irene Wong, a second-year biochemistry student, who lived in Singapore for nine years.

But, first-year undeclared student Tania Tsang wonders how long the perceived UCLA attraction in Asia will last.

“It might be a trend that fades out,” Tsang said, adding that she’s never encountered UCLA apparel in her native country of Singapore.

With the spread of manufacturing across borders and out of UCLA’s direct control, unfair labor practices and sweatshop labor become a concern for UCLA officials.

Holmes said UCLA enforces strict labor laws, but cannot guarantee that unfair labor practices do not occur in foreign factories producing UCLA merchandise

Holmes said though she has not encountered labor-policy breaches on her many visits overseas throughout the year, each year, violations may inevitably occur.

“I’m not saying there is or isn’t,” she said.