Muji is a Japanese retailer known for its minimalist designs and no-brand approach that is planning to open its first U.S. store in New York City. Muji sells simple, functional products ranging from socks and housewares to prefabricated homes, appealing to a customer base in their 20s and 30s. While Muji has found success internationally, it remains to be seen whether American consumers will embrace Muji's celebration of ordinary design over heavyweights like Ikea, Gap, and Target that dominate the U.S. market.

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Muji, Japan's unbranded Ikea-cum-Target, is
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Up Front -- Analyze This It sells sleek and functional designs
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Technology & You Quality Edge? Not
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BW MAGAZINE Muji's full name, Mujirushi Ryohin, translates into "no-brand quality products." This fall,
Get Four Free Issues the store is heading to the U.S. in hopes of wooing Americans tired of in-your-face logos
Register and over-the-top design. "To us, it's all about a product that's simple and functional,"
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says Tadamitsu Matsui, chief executive of Muji's parent company, Ryohin Keikaku Co.
"Once you remove the price tag from our products, there's nothing to indicate what the
Customer Service brand is."
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But Muji isn't just another generic brand. Its post-industrial designs tap into the less-is-
Book Reviews more esthetic visible in Japan's temple gardens and haiku. Larger Muji outlets carry
BW Video more than 7,000 products that run the gamut from $4 striped socks to a $1,170 front-
Columnists loading washer-dryer combo. There's even a line of prefab houses that start at
Interactive Gallery $115,000.
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Muji already enjoys plenty of fans overseas. The company has 387 outlets in 15
Past Covers countries, including 34 stores in Europe, and has been adding a dozen or more annually
Philanthropy in recent years. To date its only U.S. presence has been at the New York Museum of
Podcasts Modern Art (MoMA), where its $8 aluminum business-card holders and $42 collapsible
cardboard speakers have been a hit. Muji estimates net profit for the year ended in
Special Reports
February rose 9.4%, to $90.7 million, on a 14.5% increase in sales, to $1.3 billion.
BLOGS
Auto Beat The question is whether Muji's celebration of the ordinary will play well stateside. The
Bangalore Tigers Japanese retailer will be taking on heavyweights: Ikea and Crate & Barrel in furniture,
Gap (GPS ) in apparel, and Target (TGT ) in housewares, which cater to Muji's intended
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audience of consumers in their 20s and 30s. Although Muji hasn't yet determined what it
Brand New Day will charge for its wares at a new 5,000-sq.-ft. store in midtown Manhattan, its prices at
Byte of the Apple MoMa's two stores are roughly double those in Japan. Muji "will have to carve out its
Economics Unbound own place," says David Marra, a retail consultant at a.t. Kearney Inc. in Tokyo.
Eye on Asia
Muji's chief is treading carefully. He expects the New York store to turn a profit within a
Fine On Media
year; outposts in Boston, Chicago, and San Francisco might follow. While Muji is riding
Green Biz the same Japanese pop-culture wave that has landed retailers such as Uniqlo in New
Hot Property York in the past year, Matsui believes his brand has staying power: "Muji's roots are

2. York in the past year, Matsui believes his brand has staying power: "Muji's roots are
Investing Insights Japanese," he says. "But we think our products will appeal for their simple, universal
Management IQ designs."
NEXT: Innovation
NussbaumOnDesign
Tech Beat READER COMMENTS
Working Parents
TECHNOLOGY Review: i have never heard of this brand before, but looking at these comments makes me not want to have
anything to do with it!
J.D. Power Ratings
Date reviewed: Aug 24, 2009 4:43 PM
Product Reviews
Tech Stats Nickname: Rei
Wildstrom: Tech Maven
Review: Muji is all about minimalist design hype. Muji pays lip service to functionality and value to the customer but
they don't stand behind their products. It's all about cheap minimalist design - Ikea for twice the price.
AUTOS Date reviewed: Jan 8, 2008 2:56 AM
Home Page
Nickname: Yetdesign
Auto Reviews
Review: I live in Milan so I know muji quite well. "no brand" yes. but "quality" no. never buy muji textile products. you
Classic Cars can only wear them twice.
Car Care & Safety Date reviewed: Apr 13, 2007 8:35 AM
Hybrids
Nickname: Scott
INNOVATION
& DESIGN Review: I think the irony of Muji is that, in this age of ubiquitous branding, you have to go to upmarket Muji to buy
Home Page items without conspicuous branding. Its about the only place I can go in my city to get a shirt without a logo.
Date reviewed: Apr 11, 2007 12:34 PM
Architecture
Brand Equity Nickname: Michele
Auto Design Review: I live in Milan, i saw Muji last week.. Muji is a nice place, it offers a lot of original and not-conventional
ideas.
Game Room
Date reviewed: Apr 10, 2007 1:59 PM
SMALLBIZ
Smart Answers Nickname: ccw
Review: Muji's products are execellent counterpoints, bringing Japanese design to the Ikea marketplace, in the same
Success Stories
way that Manga is growing in popularity stateside, Muji's goods should find a comfortable audience stateside.
Today's Tip Date reviewed: Apr 3, 2007 9:11 PM
INVESTING
Nickname: laura
Investing: Europe Review: Yesterday I was looking up Asian design online; I am excited to get more simplicity for a modest price!
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