Muji

History of Muji

Muji was established in 1980 as a private brand of The Seiyu, Ltd. At first, the brand comprised 40 items only, including soy sauce, coffee, washing powder and toothbrushes. There was no dedicated display area and Muji items stood on the shelf alongside those of other manufacturers. However, in 1983, once the first direct sales outlet was opened in Aoyama, Muji experienced an explosion in its popularity. The range of designs, described as minimalist, pursued a no-frills concept. When these were brought together in one store, Muji was able to advertise a certain aesthetic appeal and show to consumers a world half a step ahead of the times.

In 1989, the brand became independent under the name Ryohin Keikaku Co., Ltd., and in 1991 the company set up an overseas operation. As of the end of February 2006, the combined number of directly managed retail outlets and licensed retailers was 298 in Japan and 51 overseas, with the number of product lines at around 7,000. Muji boasts a product range unparalleled even in world terms, and unique designs that extend into the realm of lifestyle solutions. Seen from the perspective of the consumer, Muji, which has retained the no-brand stance it began with, is seen as one of the great popular brands.

Muji’s founding concept
‘Low-priced for a reason’

Before the birth of Muji, from the second half of the 1960s, supermarkets began competing in the development of private brands. First on the market were products planned on the basis of a corporate-oriented logic of securing a large profit margin. However, after the amount of waste involved in canned mushrooms was pointed out at a monitor meeting held to listen to housewives’ opinions, the idea was formed to create a brand based on a consumer-oriented logic and perspective, which would genuinely benefit ordinary people. The result was Muji.

At the time of its establishment, Muji’s main promotional phrase was ‘Low-priced for a reason’. The ‘reason’ refers to the rethinking of materials, slimming down of the production process, and simplification of packaging. With the aim of producing items of the same quality at a lower cost, low prices were achieved by ‘eliminating waste and focusing on the product’s original function’. At a time when no-brand products were considered ‘cheap in price and cheap in quality’, the bold step was taken of labeling the goods ‘mujirushi’ (‘no brand’ in Japanese), but adding beneath this the words ‘ryohin (quality goods)’. In another bold move for an age with a ubiquity of foreign words in katakana script, the name was written in traditional Chinese characters. During a period when the whole of Japan was puffed up on the bubble economy, the company presented the world with environment-conscious products and packaging. These clearly taken positions and the appealing design won Muji the positive reception and support of a broad mass of the population.

Background to rebranding

Since the establishment of its first outlet, Muji advanced on an ongoing upward curve. Because its products were different in character to those hyped in Japan’s economic bubble of the 1980s, it was not affected by the economic stagnation of the 1990s. However, its business performance took a sharp turn for the worse in fiscal 2001. A major factor was the emergence of clothing retailers and 100-yen shops that made low prices a selling point, because of which consumers looking for low prices had begun to drift away. Some 20 years after its inception, amid a period of change, strains had begun to show in the Muji operation. The time had come to review the pattern it had followed so far.

Operational reform and subsequent recovery

To recover from its stagnation, a fundamental review of its operations was essential. Put simply, the transition to a form of operation that was ‘not dependent on culture and aesthetic sense alone’ was required. Cost reduction was pursued by making maximum use of the detailed methodological theory it had gained from experience. This meant for instance closing low profit retail outlets, applying independent criteria to the opening of new stores, and formulating appropriate rules and structures for inventory management and retail store operations. Based on a clear logic, the company established a framework for the thorough-going streamlining of its operations.

Through such operational reform, together with enhanced product strength by improvement of product completeness, Ryohin Keikaku achieved a dramatic recovery, securing a record profit in fiscal 2005.

History of Muji

Muji has, following 25 years since its establishment, made dramatic progress by increasing its product line, which originally consisted of only 40 items, to more than 7,000.

• 1980

  Pure honey

  

  Tissue paper refill
  (recycled paper)

  

• 1981

  Ice cream bar (vanilla)

  

  Stockings (set of 10)

  

• 1982

  Notebook (kraft paper)

  

  Bicycle (22-inch)

  

• 1983

  Paper tube rack

  

  U-shape spaghetti

  

• 1984

  Tricycle

  

  Tableware (beige)

  

• 1986

  Cashmere sweater

  

• 1989

  Aluminium card case

  

  Aluminium desk lamp

  

• 1991

  Mattress with legs

  

• 1995

  Home appliances

  

• 1998

  Steel Unit Shelf

  

• 1999

  Eye make-up

  

  Cardboard child furniture

  

  Baby MUJI

  

• 2000

  Baby buggy

  

  DVD player

  

• 2001

  MUJI+CAR1000

  

  Portable light

  

  Refrigerator

  

• 2002

  Earthenware pot

  

  Silicone ice tray

  

• 2004

  Oil-filled radiator heater

  

  School bag

  

• 2005

  Emergency supplies

  

  Soft sofa

  

A confident ‘this’ll do nicely’

‘Low-priced for a reason’: Muji’s beginnings were based on the streamlining and simplicity symbolised by this slogan. However, just as the changing times progressively brought a change to the implication of ‘low cost with value’, the rebranding presented a need to identify a new core value.
The resulting concept was not ‘this is it’ but ‘this’ll do nicely’. The idea is that even though it may not be the kind of superbrand that consumers select with the idea ‘this is it’, they can be satisfied that the products are ‘perfectly good’. The difference may suggest some degree of compromise, but enhancing the tone of the phrase can increase the degree of satisfaction to produce a confident ‘this’ll do nicely’. This was more in line with Muji’s new vision as it sought to reform. Accordingly, Muji’s 7,000- plus items were given a comprehensive makeover to create a new Muji.

The design-free ‘ultimate design’

From the mid-1990s, consumer attitudes became clearly polarized in two directions. In one direction, consumers sought high-priced brands with up-to-the-minute designs, while in the opposite direction there was an allout drive for low-priced items. Muji did not fit either of these trends. It had attracted support because of the leanness of its production process and design, but simply cutting back placed limits on the ability to create appealing products. A decline in product appeal led to an increase in cut-price sales, which had also become a factor in worsening business performance. It seemed that a more creative leanness was needed which would focus more on the intrinsic value of each individual item and would awaken a new awareness of lifestyle in all those whom it contacted. Rather than a ‘cutting back’, this was more a design-free design, in other words the ‘ultimate design’. This was the solution which Muji finally arrived at.

Post-rebranding advertising

From 2002, when Kenya Hara took over as art director, Muji’s advertisements took on an even more minimal image to represent the company concept. Its product groups, with their simplicity achieved by radically eliminating unnecessary elements, were not to be seen as having no design, but to have reached a superior degree of completeness through ultimate design. The most eminent statement of Muji’s new stance, coming 25 years after its establishment, was in the newspaper advertisements which it featured from the New Year of 2003.

2003 newspaper advertisement: The Future of Muji

The visual theme of the first advertisement was ‘horizons’. Using images photographed in the salt lakes of Uyuni in Bolivia and the steppes of Mongolia, the message was conveyed that where there is nothing there is everything. Hara, however, said that the advertisement, rather than a message being transmitted, was a receptacle through which Muji, as the recipient, could take on board the ideas and images people have of it. Apart from the photograph, the advertisement contained simply the Muji logotype, which serves as both a slogan and Muji’s graphic symbol. The pared down style of expression encompasses the Muji perspective as it gazes calmly through to the substance of the everyday.

2004 newspaper advertisement: Muji House

From 2004, advertisements were rolled out on the theme of ‘houses’. When Muji products, which encompass 7,000 items, are integrated, they naturally suggest the pattern of home-living. By bringing together clothing, everyday necessities, foods and a diverse range of other items in a streamlined fashion, Muji becomes a ‘home’. The advertisement consisted simply of a photograph showing a dwelling of the humble form inspired by the climate and environment of Africa together with the phrase ‘Mujirushi Ryohin, House’, inserted. How to make our home-living better – just as Muji’s residential business was beginning in earnest, the advertisement urged consideration of this basic question, in conjunction with the full-fledged introduction of Muji’s housing business.

2005 newspaper advertisement: Tea Ceremony Room and Muji

The background out of which Muji’s simple designs grew was informed by elements of the traditional Japanese spirit of ‘wabi-sabi (aesthetic asceticism)’. The third New Year advertisement used the tea ceremony room, one of the origins of the Japanese aesthetic sense. The photograph shows the Dojinsai tearoom at the Jishoji Temple, a national treasure to which the war-weary 15th century feudal lord, Yoshimasa Ashikaga retreated in the latter part of his life to immerse himself in the world of the tea ceremony. This is the space which gave birth to the style of interior décor known as the ‘washitsu’ or Japanese-style room. In the centre of the austere expanse of space stands a single Muji bowl of white porcelain; a portrayal of the idea that simplicity can unleash unlimited potential. The claim was to ‘embody an ultimate simplicity designed to fit any dining table’. The pared down beauty composed of the grid pattern of the sliding doors, edges of the tatami mats, and other elements certainly does match aspects of the Muji philosophy. The black and white photograph, with its emphasis on light and shade has a powerful effect.

2006 newspaper advertisement: The Natural Solution

The 2006 advertisement was the first one to focus on products. It shows a bed and chair with the chairback and headboard set at the same angle, and both items made of the same material. While investigating the ideally comfortable angle and best material for use in furniture, this was found to be ‘the natural solution’. Taking a long look at the way people live and then designing ways of making it just a little more comfortable and enjoyable; that is how Muji products are created. And when these products are arranged together in a real-life situation, their understated coordination creates a sense of harmony. When a number of Muji products are assembled they do not clash but produce an easy match. In the modern world with its plethora of varied design, this is a very valuable and important feature. In addition, examples are umbrellas which can be personalized, or hangers with a notch that prevents T-shirts from stretching at the neck during drying. When products are made the way the user unconsciously wants them to be, the result is a constant series of products that are ‘the natural solution’. Advertisements which present these Muji product features at their most effective in a simple way, win people’s hearts, while stimulating empathy and understanding for Muji design.

Currently, the Muji product range extends across a wide range of areas from clothing and everyday necessities to housing, and includes around 7,000 items. Even after 25 years, it remains steadfast in its original approach of ‘low-priced for a reason’, as it continues to propose ‘basics’ and ‘universality’ for everyday living through its simple and low-priced products.

Stationery

Health And Beauty

Food

Clothing

Kitchen/Tableware

Furniture

Home appliances

Muji’s new core value ‘ultimate design’ is based on the idea that, because it is simple, a more advanced design is required. As an extension of this idea, new product series such as ‘World MUJI’ and ‘Found MUJI’ have emerged.

World MUJI

World MUJI is a project which started by asking what kind of products Muji would have created if it had come into being in a country other than Japan, then brought together worldwide talent (product designers) to work with Muji on original product development to create items which represent the thinking and approach of the new Muji. Among others participating in the project is the great master of Italian design Enzo Mari.

Found MUJI

Muji does not restrict itself to developing products from scratch, but incorporates ideas acquired from everyday items in the world around it. The things Muji uses for inspiration, are items that make maximum use of the special features and functions of the materials available in a particular region, and other staple items of a universal character that have been perfected over a long time. Found MUJI is a project to present items that have been ‘found’, using this approach after passing them through the Muji filter.

iF design award-winning products

In 2005, nine items were recognised under Germany’s iF international product design award, of which five won a Gold Award. This showed that Muji creates top rank products, not only in terms of Japanese design standards, but of those worldwide.

Muji House

Since bringing Muji products together leads in the end to the conclusion that lifestyle equals housing, in 2004 a new housing business known as “MUJI+INFILL Wooden House” was introduced based on the Muji concept. This constitutes a new form of dwelling, the layout of which can be rearranged to match different stages in the life of the inhabitants and changes in family membership. The interior consists of a single box-type open-plan space. Using a wooden structure based on the SE construction method, the dwellings nevertheless realise a high degree of strength. Having opened the first model house inside the Yurakucho store, the business is now being introduced nationwide.

Visual concept

The design is based on a combination of the symbolic colour red and the colour of brown paper/cardboard. In the world of Japanese design, where beautiful counted as good, the Muji tag which appeared in 1980 was very bold and striking in a way that made it unforgettable once seen. In particular the base colour, brown paper/cardboard colour, was carefully selected to convey the message that, because Muji wanted to respect the original form and colour of objects, it did not bleach the raw material pulp before using it for its products. This was based on a proposal by the influential Japanese designer Ikko Tanaka. Although minor modifications have been made, 25 years after its launch it does not feel in the least dated. It can genuinely be said to be the face of Muji, symbolically representing its basic stance.

Tag system

To reduce the volume of waste material and avoid depletion of natural resources, Muji does not use excessive packaging. Many products are placed on the shelf with no more than a tag attached to explain their origin, or wrapped lightly in the minimum of packaging. As part of the rebranding, the label layout rules were renewed in 2002, in the interest of a system involving less waste.

Domestic stores

As of the end of February 2006, the combined number of directly managed retail outlets and licensed retailers was 298 and the plan is to open approximately 20 new stores each year from now on. The average sales floor space will be maintained at the level of 1,000 square meters, but there are also a number of stores of around 3,300 square meters. One of these, the Yurakucho store, carries “Meal MUJI”, “MUJI Spectacles”, “Hana-Ryohin” and “MUJI Wooden House”, thus serving as a flagship store where all the current Muji business lines can be seen in one place. Additionally there are three factory outlets nationwide where products whose specifications have been altered, and seasonal products from previous years are offered at low prices. Meanwhile, detailed sales channels are being put in place so that Muji products can be bought even in areas where there are no stores. These include the “Muji comKIOSK” operated by East Japan Kiosk, which is developing kiosks on railway station premises, sales within the nationwide chain of Family Mart convenience stores, and online sales, which are increasing yearly.

Café and meal business

The café and meal business, which was started in 2001, currently operates six outlets in total, three each of “Café MUJI” and “Meal MUJI”. The concept is ‘simple but not plain’ food. With utmost care in the selection of ingredients, including soybeans delivered from contracted farms and organic vegetables, the food outlets offer healthy dishes that bring out the intrinsic flavour of the foodstuffs used. The outlets operate a self-service system to reflect the Muji philosophy, but the good value regarding taste and size of portions has proven popular, and the plan is to gradually increase the number of outlets.

Meal MUJI, Yurakucho store

Florist business

The florist business was begun in 1996 under the brand name “Hanayoshi” in Hachioji, Tokyo, followed by establishment of Hana-Ryohin Co., Ltd in 2001. Considerations typical of Muji in all aspects are given to consumers, including freshness guarantee (certain operations only) by the introduction of a direct-from-the-grower system, and an exchange/refund system. At present, the business operates in 15 outlets, including one at the Yurakucho store.

Hana-Ryohin, Yurakucho store

Spectacles business

Focusing on the fact that many people were dissatisfied on a number of levels regarding the purchasing of spectacles, Muji has worked to make pricing easy to understand, introduced common specifications so that customers can assemble a pair based on their preferences (customizing), and introduced replaceable parts to prolong the life of each pair of spectacles (sustainability). This unique approach, which is unprecedented with other opticians has proven popular. The business started in 2002 at the Yurakucho and Namba stores. With lens frames, earpieces, colours and materials that can be freely combined, customers can put together their own original spectacles from around 40,000 possible permutations. The reasonable prices, starting at 10,000 yen, have also attracted regular customers.

MUJI Spectacles sales area

Online strategy

The Muji homepage is the first point of contact for consumers visiting its website. By starting with a corporate history and background information to its advertising promotions, Muji considers it a place for increasing consumer understanding of the company. Meanwhile, the Internet sales business has shown steady growth along with expansion of the Internet. In fiscal year 2005, a sales growth of 43% from the previous year was recorded, already outstripping that of the largest retail outlet, the Yurakucho store. As well as the trend of the times, this is probably due to features such as the convenient advantage of allowing purchases from parts of Japan where there are no retail outlets, the 24-hour accessibility of this communication tool, and the special benefits limited to members. Efficient in operational terms, and with the number of registered members increasing yearly, the online business is regarded as a mainstay sales channel for the future.

Muji homepage

Internet sales business

Netstore

The online sales business begun in September 2000 is called Netstore, and the number of product lines available has now been expanded to 5,500. Supplying detailed information and providing members with benefits such as free delivery, its thoughtful service is steadily adding to the number of regular customers.

Net community

From the start Muji has been a user-friendly company that gives concrete form to consumer wishes. This tradition continues in its online operations, where customer comments and surveys are studied as a way of encouraging communication in planning and the development of improved products. This activity has given rise to enormously successful products that have achieved massive popularity, such as the ‘body fit cushion’.

Overseas stores

Since 1991, when Muji opened a shop in London, the company has established 17 stores in Britain, followed by those in France, Italy, Germany, Spain, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, China and elsewhere, resulting in a total of around 51 stores in 13 countries.

In Japan, Muji is seen as ‘simple’, but overseas it has been rated among other things as ‘innovative’ and ‘fresh and honest’, and has made a favourable impression especially on designers and other creative professionals. As for its products, in Europe especially, there are a large number of items that have been developed independently from the Japanese range, with clothing for instance made more colourful than in Japan. Colour and design are planned to match the location, and everyday sundries are also adapted to meet local standards. At present, foods are handled only in Asia. In the future, the strategy is to open stores at the rate of 15 each year, and to raise the overseas share of sales to 10%. Today, Muji is no longer just a Japanese brand, but one that is recognised globally.

Muji store in the UK

Muji store in Hong Kong

Muji store in Taiwan

In-store sales outlet in the MoMA Design Store

In 2002, Muji began product supply to the MoMA (Museum of Modern Art, New York) Design Store, which carries products restricted to outstanding design from around the world. It expanded such in-store style sales in the MoMA design stores, opening one in the SOHO store in October 2004 and another in the 53rd Street store in October of the following year. (As a store in the United States where Muji products can be bought, they are always busy.) The most popular item is apparently an aluminium business card case.

In-store sales outlet in the MoMA Design Store; given its own exclusive space, it creates a world that is purely Muji.

Campsite operation

The trigger for this business came in 1987, during a period when there was an unprecedented boom in outdoor activities. At a time when elaborate and convenient facilities and tools were the focus of attention, Muji believed that true camping was camping where only true necessities were cleverly improvised and knowledge was used to allow communion with nature, and opened the Muji Summer Camp to give support to people who shared this idea. The number of participants has increased each year, and as Muji was searching for a place where all members could come to relax, it discovered the municipality of Tsunan (Niigata Prefecture) which benefits from an abundant natural environment combined with a rich cultural heritage. Triggered by this encounter, the first campsite was opened in 1995, and a total of three have been established including Minaminorikura (Gifu Prefecture) and Tsumagoi (Gunma Prefecture). Typically for Muji, the natural landscape has been left unaltered as far as possible. Tents and other camping equipment can be hired and fishing, canoeing and similar activities are organised, so that even visitors who want to travel light can enjoy a stay. The number of registered members is 80,000. The idea is that ‘there’s not much there except nature’. Against the vast backdrop of nature, visitors are totally free to enjoy the Muji campsite in their own way.

Muji Tsunan campsite

Environmental products from Muji

Muji has created products that are simple, while emphasizing lifestyle and personality. One of the preconditions of this activity is that it allow us to live in a sustainable relationship with nature and the environment. Because of this, Muji’s product development and production have from the outset been based on three consistent policies:

1. Selection of materials: make use of materials that have been rejected elsewhere.
2. Review of processes: simplify processes as far as possible to reduce the number.
3. Simplification of packaging: minimize waste from packaging.

Environmental ‘exformation’ (asking questions)

Muji presents a clear statement of its approach to the environment and society on its website, while also actively transmitting its message to customers and society through in-store communication and publishing activity. To encourage customers to bring their own bags rather than rely on being given one at the checkout, Muji has begun selling original cloth bags at low prices. In its publishing activity, it has for instance edited and published illustrated books questioning the relationship between material objects and people, thus presenting the Muji approach in the highly natural form of a publication. These methods, rather than simply forcing information on people, are based on the idea of confronting people with questions and making them aware of what they did not know, which is based on the approach represented by ‘exformation’.

Five principles for living with the global environment
The following five principles form the basis of such approach by Muji:

1. In all activities, to abide strictly by the law in Japan and overseas.
2. To restrict the use of substances which may have a serious impact on human health or the environment and, in the event that such substances are used, to publish relevant information.
3. To implement a traceability system for natural materials.
4. To reduce waste by standardizing product modules, making products easy to segregate and simplifying packaging, etc.
5. To enhance communication with all those who come into contact with quality products.

Exploring the ‘Vision for quality products’

Talking to customers in store

Muji makes sure to convey messages such as ‘If you don’t need a bag please tell us’ and ‘we appreciate it’ to customers who purchase its reusable shopping bags or bring their own.

Cloth bags that can be personalized

To replace disposable store bags, Muji offers a cloth bag handy for everyday use in three sizes; B5, A4 and A3 and affordably priced at 50 yen, 70 yen and 100 yen. They can be decorated freely to the customer’s taste using rubber stamps. The stamps consisting of 40 different varieties are available at Muji sales counters.

Illustrated book ‘Moshimo Monoga Hanashitara (If Things Could Talk)’

Focusing on the relationship between people and material objects, this beautifully presented and enjoyable book produced by atelier GRIZOU explores a style of living around the idea ‘this will do nicely’. The cover is made from banana stem.