TORONTO — Muji opened its first Canadian store in the heart of downtown Toronto in late November and we recently took a gander at what the Japanese household retailer has to offer.
The Japanese company is known for their simple yet sleek products that bring everyday objects to their simplest of forms, and there’s a wide range of products available. The displays are clean and crisp, and you can’t help but feel the company hopes to show customers why they’re a household name in Japan.
Muji has clothing, notebooks, face creams, and what seems to be their most popular items: pens. As soon as customers walk in they seem to be drawn to the pen stations. When we recently went back to the store, one clerk told Nikkei Voice that the pens are completely sold out and will be back in stock at the end of January.
According to the employee, customers would walk in and buy the pens by the fistful. And finding a space to even look at the refill might take a while as many the many hands and bodies of customers grab at the stationary stations.
But it isn’t just the simple yet elegant pens that attract the eye. Innovative items like a highlighter with a clear strip in order to see what you are writing are usual in Japan are new to Canadian consumers. Good stationary items seem to be what Canadians are looking have wanted for a long time. Although they are sold at stores like Staples and Target they don’t seem to have the same variety that Muji offers.
Muji also allows customers to stamp products they have bought from the story such as binders and notebooks. Customers are able to add their own unique style to their none branded items. Most of the stamps are based on Canadian symbols such as the CN Tower and the beaver.
Prices, however, seems to be a little difficult to navigate, depending on where you are looking. The clothing has Canadian prices over the Japanese prices. While looking at suitcases and other goods, people might find themselves looking at the Japanese prices and not exactly know where to find the Canadian prices. Usually they are located on small tags underneath the items.
Another problem is the clear markup that customers see over the Japanese price located on the tags. For instance, a small purse priced at 300 yen is marked up to almost $15.00.
But the one thing that Muji Canada is missing is the food. Muji in Japan is known for all the wonderful variety of foods they have including drinks, curry, and desserts.
However, Muji’s first store shows a lot of promise. With lines up out the door on opening day and running out of stock in the first week due to the overwhelming demand, Muji’s presence in Canada is off to a strong start.