5 ms·

The Commercial Zen of Muji

80 points by davidbarker 11y ago

seanmcdirmid 11y ago
I really love shopping at Muji (we have a few in the Beijing area); the products are simple, high quality, and relatively affordable (more expensive than Target and IKEA, but cheaper than a good department store). As stated in the article, their aesthetics are strictly earthy, they avoid wild colors, which works well for home goods, I think. Things to look for at Muji if one moves into your town: Linens (sheets, pillows, blanket covers) and towels are pretty soft. Silverware (the spoons are awesome, I've never seen anything so well balanced). Cleaning tools. Finding a decent broom in Beijing is really hard since no one cleans their own house...so Muji it is (the broom is small but has an articulate joint, can accept multiple extensions). Pens. I really don't get this one, even the standard pens I buy in the states don't seem to write as smoothly, and of course in China there aren't any better options. Snacks.
- quxbar 11y ago
  Living in NYC, I can vouch Muji is my best reasonably-priced readily-available option for most of those things, and thus all of them but the silverware (we inherited a full set) are in my current living space. Fascinating that one Japanese store is serving urbanites in both the US and China.
  - seanmcdirmid 11y ago
    My wife doesn't really understand my obsessions with the spoons. They just feel better than anything I've used before. Muji has done very well in China, they have them in just about all the good malls. But it is nothing compared to Japan...the Muji in Ginza Tokyo even sells houses!
- GuiA 11y ago
  Yet another MUJI fanatic here. The San Francisco store gets my recurrent patronage. I would also recommend their furniture - I have a very comfortable bed and floor chair from there, and their recliner seat is terribly comfortable (but sadly I do not have the space for it in my tiny SF bedroom) The only downside is that after you've been shopping to MUJI in Japan, you realize that you do pay a premium in the US. Oh well, worth it.
  - seanmcdirmid 11y ago
    What is the markup in the US? We do have a markup in China, but it isn't that large...about 10% or so, which seems quite reasonable.
    - acid__ 11y ago
      It's been a few months since I've been to the SF one, but if I remember correctly, it was about 30-40% above the price on the Japanese label.
  - josh64 11y ago
    Seems to be a large premium for Sydney too :( Still work it for most things!
- greggman 11y ago
  High quality? They sell furniture made from cardboard. Spill anything on it and it's destroyed immediately. Pens? Seriously? There pens are no better and arguably worse than just about any pens I'v used. I bought some filing boxes from Muji, they fell apart after a very short use. They also sell mostly tasteless food. Muji to me is the ultimate scam. They make very crappy products but their color scheme and presentation make it appear nice and people eat it up. I used to be fooled by it myself.
  - lotso 11y ago
    Almost every illustrator, designer, or artist I know really enjoy using their pens. YMMV. Also not sure what furniture you are referring to, but they have a lot made from solid wood. https://www.muji.eu/pages/online.asp?Sec=19 https://www.muji.eu/pages/online.asp?Sec=19
    - mattkevan 11y ago
      Yeah, their .5mm pens are fantastic. I've used them for so long that my handwriting goes weird when I use a different make. They produce a lovely black line and the ink is quick drying, which for a lefty is vital. I make a special journey every few months to stock up. The notebooks are good too, though I haven't forgiven them for discontinuing their A5 spiral bound sketchbook years ago, which was perfect. If I had realised it was going away, I'd have gone round every branch in London and bought them all up.
      - koralatov 11y ago
        ... If I had realised it was going away, I'd have gone round every branch in London and bought them all up. I feel exactly the same way about their now-discontinued passport notebook. If I'd realised it was in danger of extinction, I'd have bulk-bought every one I could get my hands on.
  - threeseed 11y ago
    Mujis products are all cheaply made in China but I wouldn't call it a scam per se. It's applying high end design to low end materials the same as Uniqlo, Ikea etc have done.
- keithpeter 11y ago
  UK: I'd add their notebooks. Practical (most can fold flat on the table), very reasonably priced, if not super-famous-writer-quality. I regret that the double ended hexagonal felt-tipped pens are no longer stocked. I've not taught a teenager student who wasn't immediately fascinated by these!
- mtrimpe 11y ago
  If you ever find their suitcase which can be unzipped flat let me know and I'll pay whatever you want to have a couple of them shipped to Europe!
- koralatov 11y ago
  I don't have a Muji near me, but shop on their online store at least a couple of times a year. Some of their stuff is of average quality and not worth bothering with, but some is excellent. Some favourites: Their Hakuji porcelain[1] is beautiful, simple crockery that manages to be unassuming without being plain; the slight blueish cast that it has is just lovely. If I didn't have a perfectly good set of plates already, I'd buy a complete set. The Acrylic Storage range is a little pricey, but lovely, and better-made than the cheaper, no-brand stuff I occasionally see in shops locally. They used to sell passport-sized notebooks, but discontinued them some time ago. An email to their (excellent) customer service people when they first disappeared from the UK online store was met with assurances that they would be restocked, but sadly this hasn't happened and they've disappeared from the other online stores. I never followed up with customer service, but I think it's clear that they're now completely discontinued. Their nail-clippers are made in Japan, excellent, and ludicrously cheap.[2] The Sweet Home rates them as ["the best for trimming both fingernails and toenails". They make a great exfoliating cloth, just over a metre long, which does wonders for your back and skin in general. They also stock and sell a range of B5-sized notebooks, which are otherwise nearly impossible to find in the UK. The blandly named "B5 Double Ring Notebook"[4] is my favourite notebook ever, and a steal at £2.95 for 80 blank sheets. The range of B5 notebooks offered on their website has contracted in the last year or so, sadly, which is presumably due to poor sales. [1]: http://www.muji.eu/pages/online.asp?Sec=11&Sub=97 http://www.muji.eu/pages/online.asp?Sec=11&Sub=97 [2]: http://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2014/may/03/sali-hughes-beauty-brilliant-tools-for-job http://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2014/may/03/sali-hughes-b... [3]: http://thesweethome.com/reviews/the-best-nail-clippers/ http://thesweethome.com/reviews/the-best-nail-clippers/ [4]: http://www.muji.eu/pages/online.asp?Sec=12&Sub=49&PID=7137 http://www.muji.eu/pages/online.asp?Sec=12&Sub=49&PID=7137
quxbar 11y ago
Reading this as an openly insufferable Muji fanatic (did anyone else see Kazuko Koike at the pre-opening event at the 5th avenue store? it was great!) this was written by a closeted Muji fanatic. I approve. Hopefully they won't dilute their formula by expanding, but really I'd be happy if they just launched the full Japanese line in NYC and SF. And I want to tour some of those Muji homes. Yes, that's how bad I have it.
paulsutter 11y ago
Muji trivia: the name in kanji is 無印良品. The four characters mean "no label fine goods". Just in case you wondered why there are no labels.
- vinceyuan 11y ago
  I thought it's 母鸡. Just joking :D
  - vinceyuan 11y ago
    (母鸡, hen in Chinese, pronounced as "Mu Ji")
Lambent_Cactus 11y ago
The Muji store locator amusingly lists the two Toronto locations as being in the US: http://www.muji.com/storelocator/?c=us&lang=EN&header=gl http://www.muji.com/storelocator/?c=us&lang=EN&header=gl
golergka 11y ago
Sounds a lot like Uniqlo. Wonder if this normcore approach gets as popular in other areas as well.
- karaokeyoga 11y ago
  Uniqlo is strictly clothing. Muji has close to a department-store range of items (smaller selection outside Japan).
  - golergka 11y ago
    I meant in approach, this one seems like Uniqlo of department stores. Will we see "Uniqlo of X" in other areas as well?
ksec 11y ago
Sometimes I wonder if they are really that good. They are comparatively expensive in my opinion. Especially their furniture
davidgerard 11y ago
Get a Muji multitool. I have one next to me at all times. A ridiculously useful object.

80 points by davidbarker 11y ago

I really love shopping at Muji (we have a few in the Beijing area); the products are simple, high quality, and relatively affordable (more expensive than Target and IKEA, but cheaper than a good department store). As stated in the article, their aesthetics are strictly earthy, they avoid wild colors, which works well for home goods, I think. Things to look for at Muji if one moves into your town: Linens (sheets, pillows, blanket covers) and towels are pretty soft. Silverware (the spoons are awesome, I've never seen anything so well balanced). Cleaning tools. Finding a decent broom in Beijing is really hard since no one cleans their own house...so Muji it is (the broom is small but has an articulate joint, can accept multiple extensions). Pens. I really don't get this one, even the standard pens I buy in the states don't seem to write as smoothly, and of course in China there aren't any better options. Snacks.

quxbar 11y ago
Living in NYC, I can vouch Muji is my best reasonably-priced readily-available option for most of those things, and thus all of them but the silverware (we inherited a full set) are in my current living space. Fascinating that one Japanese store is serving urbanites in both the US and China.
- seanmcdirmid 11y ago
  My wife doesn't really understand my obsessions with the spoons. They just feel better than anything I've used before. Muji has done very well in China, they have them in just about all the good malls. But it is nothing compared to Japan...the Muji in Ginza Tokyo even sells houses!
GuiA 11y ago
Yet another MUJI fanatic here. The San Francisco store gets my recurrent patronage. I would also recommend their furniture - I have a very comfortable bed and floor chair from there, and their recliner seat is terribly comfortable (but sadly I do not have the space for it in my tiny SF bedroom) The only downside is that after you've been shopping to MUJI in Japan, you realize that you do pay a premium in the US. Oh well, worth it.
- seanmcdirmid 11y ago
  What is the markup in the US? We do have a markup in China, but it isn't that large...about 10% or so, which seems quite reasonable.
  - acid__ 11y ago
    It's been a few months since I've been to the SF one, but if I remember correctly, it was about 30-40% above the price on the Japanese label.
- josh64 11y ago
  Seems to be a large premium for Sydney too :( Still work it for most things!
greggman 11y ago
High quality? They sell furniture made from cardboard. Spill anything on it and it's destroyed immediately. Pens? Seriously? There pens are no better and arguably worse than just about any pens I'v used. I bought some filing boxes from Muji, they fell apart after a very short use. They also sell mostly tasteless food. Muji to me is the ultimate scam. They make very crappy products but their color scheme and presentation make it appear nice and people eat it up. I used to be fooled by it myself.
- lotso 11y ago
  Almost every illustrator, designer, or artist I know really enjoy using their pens. YMMV. Also not sure what furniture you are referring to, but they have a lot made from solid wood. https://www.muji.eu/pages/online.asp?Sec=19 https://www.muji.eu/pages/online.asp?Sec=19
  - mattkevan 11y ago
    Yeah, their .5mm pens are fantastic. I've used them for so long that my handwriting goes weird when I use a different make. They produce a lovely black line and the ink is quick drying, which for a lefty is vital. I make a special journey every few months to stock up. The notebooks are good too, though I haven't forgiven them for discontinuing their A5 spiral bound sketchbook years ago, which was perfect. If I had realised it was going away, I'd have gone round every branch in London and bought them all up.
    - koralatov 11y ago
      ... If I had realised it was going away, I'd have gone round every branch in London and bought them all up. I feel exactly the same way about their now-discontinued passport notebook. If I'd realised it was in danger of extinction, I'd have bulk-bought every one I could get my hands on.
- threeseed 11y ago
  Mujis products are all cheaply made in China but I wouldn't call it a scam per se. It's applying high end design to low end materials the same as Uniqlo, Ikea etc have done.
keithpeter 11y ago
UK: I'd add their notebooks. Practical (most can fold flat on the table), very reasonably priced, if not super-famous-writer-quality. I regret that the double ended hexagonal felt-tipped pens are no longer stocked. I've not taught a teenager student who wasn't immediately fascinated by these!
mtrimpe 11y ago
If you ever find their suitcase which can be unzipped flat let me know and I'll pay whatever you want to have a couple of them shipped to Europe!
koralatov 11y ago
I don't have a Muji near me, but shop on their online store at least a couple of times a year. Some of their stuff is of average quality and not worth bothering with, but some is excellent. Some favourites: Their Hakuji porcelain[1] is beautiful, simple crockery that manages to be unassuming without being plain; the slight blueish cast that it has is just lovely. If I didn't have a perfectly good set of plates already, I'd buy a complete set. The Acrylic Storage range is a little pricey, but lovely, and better-made than the cheaper, no-brand stuff I occasionally see in shops locally. They used to sell passport-sized notebooks, but discontinued them some time ago. An email to their (excellent) customer service people when they first disappeared from the UK online store was met with assurances that they would be restocked, but sadly this hasn't happened and they've disappeared from the other online stores. I never followed up with customer service, but I think it's clear that they're now completely discontinued. Their nail-clippers are made in Japan, excellent, and ludicrously cheap.[2] The Sweet Home rates them as ["the best for trimming both fingernails and toenails". They make a great exfoliating cloth, just over a metre long, which does wonders for your back and skin in general. They also stock and sell a range of B5-sized notebooks, which are otherwise nearly impossible to find in the UK. The blandly named "B5 Double Ring Notebook"[4] is my favourite notebook ever, and a steal at £2.95 for 80 blank sheets. The range of B5 notebooks offered on their website has contracted in the last year or so, sadly, which is presumably due to poor sales. [1]: http://www.muji.eu/pages/online.asp?Sec=11&Sub=97 http://www.muji.eu/pages/online.asp?Sec=11&Sub=97 [2]: http://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2014/may/03/sali-hughes-beauty-brilliant-tools-for-job http://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2014/may/03/sali-hughes-b... [3]: http://thesweethome.com/reviews/the-best-nail-clippers/ http://thesweethome.com/reviews/the-best-nail-clippers/ [4]: http://www.muji.eu/pages/online.asp?Sec=12&Sub=49&PID=7137 http://www.muji.eu/pages/online.asp?Sec=12&Sub=49&PID=7137

quxbar 11y ago

Reading this as an openly insufferable Muji fanatic (did anyone else see Kazuko Koike at the pre-opening event at the 5th avenue store? it was great!) this was written by a closeted Muji fanatic. I approve. Hopefully they won't dilute their formula by expanding, but really I'd be happy if they just launched the full Japanese line in NYC and SF. And I want to tour some of those Muji homes. Yes, that's how bad I have it.

paulsutter 11y ago

Muji trivia: the name in kanji is 無印良品. The four characters mean "no label fine goods". Just in case you wondered why there are no labels.

vinceyuan 11y ago
I thought it's 母鸡. Just joking :D
- vinceyuan 11y ago
  (母鸡, hen in Chinese, pronounced as "Mu Ji")

Lambent_Cactus 11y ago

The Muji store locator amusingly lists the two Toronto locations as being in the US: http://www.muji.com/storelocator/?c=us&lang=EN&header=gl http://www.muji.com/storelocator/?c=us&lang=EN&header=gl

golergka 11y ago

Sounds a lot like Uniqlo. Wonder if this normcore approach gets as popular in other areas as well.

karaokeyoga 11y ago
Uniqlo is strictly clothing. Muji has close to a department-store range of items (smaller selection outside Japan).
- golergka 11y ago
  I meant in approach, this one seems like Uniqlo of department stores. Will we see "Uniqlo of X" in other areas as well?

ksec 11y ago

Sometimes I wonder if they are really that good. They are comparatively expensive in my opinion. Especially their furniture

davidgerard 11y ago

Get a Muji multitool. I have one next to me at all times. A ridiculously useful object.