Mujirushi Ryohin

Muji, the short for Mujirushi Ryohin, Japanese meaning No Brand Quality Goods.

Founded in 1980, Muji’s concept is to produce “reasonably priced” high quality products. The price / quality equation is established with minimalist design and no unnecessary spending on advertising. From 40 products in Japan, it has grown to 8,100 products in 16 countries.

The success story of building a no-brand brand in 20+ years with a stream of followers globally, is a marketing marvel.

I had the opportunity to make the acquaintance of Satoru Matsuzaki, Muji’s Managing Director for Greater China some months back. As a possible supplier to their operation, I was pleasantly impressed by the professionalism & respect Matsuzaki-san & his team render to potential business partners. The precision of information and follow-up was flawless. It is a reflection of how the team value their brand & brand philosophy. Matsuzaki-san told me that each piece of product listed in Muji is their own design and it has to be approved by a design committee, comprising external designers, of which Yoshi Yamamoto is one. The design committee works independently of the executive committee to ensure that the products have a life of its own.

Muji connects with the consumer through its stores, sponsored activities & word of mouth. Bill-boards close to its store location is the only mass media used. I was in discussion with Matsuzaki-san on fitting out of their stores. It is not surprising that they use their own specific designed fittings to ensure a consistent Muji look globally. He shared their store opening plans in China for the next 2 years.

I’m glad to read in the news that Muji’s 5th store in Beijing, its 11th in China, opened last week. Target is to operate a total of 30 stores in China by end 2010.