We visited the newest and largest MUJI flagship store. In early April 2019, MUJI opened this location with four floors of retail, a food market, a restaurant, gallery, bar, and even a hotel in the Ginza retail district of Tokyo. This all-in-one concept conveys MUJI’s philosophy of “feel-good living” to the world. And yes, they have succeeded! We could easily live there. And we’re not the only ones: on Sundays, there were traffic wardens outside and near entrance to manage the large number of customers.
What sets this store apart from other Japanese retailer stores:
Absolutely everything you need for everyday life
MUJI offers everything for “feel-good living.” Clothing, stationery, household products, storage boxes, furniture, bed linen and towels, suitcases, and bags. The products are functional and feature minimalist designs predominantly made from natural materials-characteristic of Japanese design. In the retail section of this multifunctional flagship store, they even sell washing machines, refrigerators, and bicycles.
New: Makeup department
We already were familiar with shower gels, shampoos, soaps, and esoteric oils in beautiful, minimalist packaging. Now MUJI also has its own beauty line, allowing you to create your own makeup box.
Focus on food
The ground floor is a food market. Here you’ll find a tea boutique where you can create your own blend, a herbal shop, a fruit and vegetable section, and various counters serving freshly prepared take-out meals.
Left of the entrance you can find the MUJI Bakery. You can see the bakers at work from the street, so it’s no surprise that there’s almost always a queue! By the way, you can use the MUJI Passport app to order bread and coffee to skip the line.
The app can also be used to reserve a table at the MUJI Diner, which is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The Japanese dishes make the most of seasonal ingredients, so MUJI works closely with local farmers to ensure the best and freshest products are used in the restaurant.
Attention to services
In all MUJI stores, the products are clearly the heroes. However, in the newest store, the space and attention given to services stood out, integrated into the departments or as separate zones.
At the Customization Service, you can have textile products embroidered with your own design. At the Delivery Service Counter, you can pick up online orders or arrange to have the products you purchased in-store delivered to your home.
With MUJI Support, customers are assisted by employees specialized in interior design and storage methods to apply the MUJI “feel-good” lifestyle to their own homes. With the Renovation Club, MUJI takes it one step further by offering inspiration for home remodelling and providing assistance and guidance with renovation and decoration.
ReMUJI
A sustainable and circular clothing collection with a story. MUJI collects unwanted clothing from customers and gathers textile damaged during the production and distribution process, rendering it unsellable. This clothing is dyed and recycled into the ReMUJI collection.
Storytelling through visual merchandising and in-store communication
Products are stacked in displays against the walls all the way up to the ceiling. This block formation is typical and recognizable for the Japanese retailer. It creates an atmosphere and conveys a sense of smart value. It also helps with navigation to find the right department and product category. The products also play a significant role in visual merchandising, showcasing unconventional uses.
In-store communication is primarily applied at the product level, with stories that support the products and act as “silent salesmen”, The differences between products are illustrated, and their usage is explained. The origin, craftsmanship, and manufacturing process are showcased.
Customers are provided with tips about MUJI services, and there is space for price and communicating sales and promotions.
Space for leisure
It is clear that this flagship store is much more than a space focused solely on transactions (although plenty of shopping takes place – it’s almost impossible to leave the store empty-handed, as we experienced ourselves). MUJI allows customers and guests to experience the brand philosophy through the combination of functions. This means there is also ample space for leisure activities: workshops are regularly organized, and there is a small bookstore with a quiet reading corner. The children’s department has a play area where children can try out all the toys, as well as a nursing room. On the 6th floor, where the hotel lobby is located, you’ll find Atelier MUJI. This artistic space includes a gallery, salon, lounge, and library. Here, MUJI aims to showcase its vision for the future and challenge people to think about the role and importance of design. What a beautiful ambition!
We are big fans of this versatile MUJI flagship store. It’s a shame that it’s more than 9000 kilometres away!
