MUJI

The beginning
I discovered MUJI in 2000 when settling down in London and looking for well designed storage for CDs, photos etc.   Already, MUJI had opened many stores in central london with a particular atmosphere: clean design, brown / white / grey coloured or transparent items.  All the shapes are very simple You could sense a bit of Japan

I got myself a couple of storage boxes and soon after muji invaded my bathroom with all sorts of small items that where handy for frequent travellers.

The Muji distinctive logo soon  became part of the London street scenery.  I would occasionally drop by on the weekend during a casual stroll or afternoon shopping.  It was the ideal place to find a little gift, another element of decoration for the flat.  And to be honest, what where my other options ? Habitat couldn't match the muji prices and IKEA just didn't have much of a character...

The pens
My favorite items are definitely the pens. Not only are they straight forward, good quality pens, it's the colours and the tip size that make all the difference and bring character to the item.
Suddenly choosing the colour of your pen becomes a personality shout: pink, purple, dark blue, green...  get rid of the stereotyped branded office pens

Muji around the world
I've had the opportunity to discover muji around the world.
At the paris opening it was great to see the same shop layout and items and feel in a comfortable well known environment
When the first shop opened in Dusseldorf, it was also an event: a clear design departure from the rather up market chic boutique carving its own distinctive niche
When visiting Japan, I was in for a surprise to discover that Muji is actually a very cheap brand and is positioned very differently than in Europe.  Still now, the facebook descriptions could not be more different:

Muji Japan facebook page: "Lower priced for a reason."
This phrase encapsulates how we can provide our Muji products at lower prices. We launched our Muji brand by designing and developing products that might almost be regarded as substandard if based on traditional criteria, although they are, of course, actually of good quality.

Muji Ireland facebook page: Muji products came into being in the early 1980’s as a result of a new mood, calling for a return to simplicity in daily life. Our aim was - and still is - to provide our customers all over the world with the fundamental things they need to live a busy, modern, urban lifestyle.


Innovation
In my mind, Muji has managed to associate itself with innovation through a couple of simple products they have brought to market and highlighted in their shops:
The CD & Speaker Phones:  instead of having expensive hifi and heavy items to carry around, muji launched two tech products with a revolutionary twist: cardboard speakers and a fan-like CD player

Muji then ventured into a suite of wodden toys that represented major cities... a mix between decoration objects, toys and simple gift ideas.  It gives their outlets a relaxed and fun place to go, you can fiddel around with a couple of objects whilst waiting in the queue or as you wait for your partner to shop ...

That special moment you remember
I bought a very simple coffee table in germany and had it delivered to my place.  When I opened the box, it actually contained 2 tables stored one against each other.  Having only paid for one table, I brought it back to the shop the week later...  the shop manager told me that they had already done their stock take of the month and that the extra table was put as a loss anyway, so I could keep it since it was their mistake...   not what i was expecting