Muji, Japan's trendy "no-brand" brand of sleek but simple housing goods and clothing, will enter the United States with a store in New York. Muji, which has developed a loyal following in European and Asian cities among style-conscious young professionals, will open the store in November in Soho.
The 3,200 square-foot (300 square-meter) store will offer more than 2,000 Muji products ranging from furniture to beauty products, parent company Ryohin Keikaku Co Ltd's US unit said in a statement released Thursday in New York.
Muji, an acronym meaning "no brand, good quality" in Japanese, started in 1980 selling a small selection of household articles with a policy of not putting on any logo. But even without a label, Muji's style has become instantly identifiable, with minimalist designs and few colours other than white, grey and black. The chain also pledges to keep packaging to a minimum so as to be eco-friendly.
Muji opened its first overseas store in London in 1991 and last year even launched an international design award. Muji now has more than 300 stores in Japan and more than 60 outlets in 14 other countries or territories. Muji is the latest minimalist-inspired Japanese firm to set its sights on further expansion overseas.
Fast Retailing, the operator of the Uniqlo chain of casual but affordably priced clothing, plans to open a flagship store in London in November. Uniqlo also opened a major store in New York's Soho last year and plans another flagship in Paris.