Muji started with only 40 products in the 1980s. By the end of the 2000s, Muji was selling more than 7,000 different products.
Some of their products include pens, pencils, notebooks, storage units, apparel, kitchen appliances, food items, and household care products. Muji has also created an automobile. Muji storefronts such as the one in New York are large and stocked with nearly every single product available. The primary business also includes Café Muji, Meal Muji, Muji Campsite, florist and home furnishing; the company has also engaged in architectural projects such as Muji House.
Muji is positioned as a "reasonably priced" brand, keeping the retail prices of products "lower than usual" by the materials it selects, streamlining its manufacturing processes, and minimising packaging.
In April 2019, Muji opened its largest Muji store in Ginza, Japan. The company added Atelier Muji Ginza located on the sixth floor.
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Muji has opened hotels in Shenzhen, Beijing, and Ginza, Tokyo.
Countries of operation
In Japan, Ryohin Keikaku had 328 directly operated stores, and supplied 124 outlets, as of August 2017.
Ryohin Keikaku has three factory outlets at Osaka, Gotenba and Fukuoka.
There were 579 International retail outlets as of August 2022, located in Denmark (1) UK (7), Finland (1), France (6), Italy (5), Germany (7), Ireland (1), Spain (4), Poland (1), Portugal (1), United States (10), Canada (8), Hong Kong (23), Macau (1), Singapore (14), Malaysia (19), South Korea (42), Mainland China (422), Taiwan (70), Thailand (39), Australia (6), Philippines (8), Bahrain (2), Kuwait (3), Qatar (2), Saudi Arabia (3), UAE (8), Oman (1), India (3), Vietnam (3).
Muji had operations in Indonesia, Turkey, Sweden and Switzerland in the past but has closed operations due to its low sales and other circumstances. In July 2026, it announced its withdrawal from Poland after 16 years of operations in the country.
American operations
Muji entered the US market in 2002; its products were stocked at MOMA, New York.
Muji opened its first American store on November 16, 2007, in SoHo, Manhattan. In 2008, it opened two more stores in Manhattan: one in Times Square, and one in Chelsea.
On November 30, 2012, it opened its first store on the West Coast in South of Market, San Francisco. The San Francisco store, the Hollywood store, and the Santa Monica store are now permanently closed.
In New York City, Muji supplies products to a design store at the Museum of Modern Art and maintains a flagship store. As of July 2023, there were 7 stores in Manhattan, one in Boston, one in Portland, and another location in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. A small branch previously operated at JFK International Airport.
In July 2020, Muji USA filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, citing shutdowns from the COVID-19 pandemic.
No-brand branding
Muji's no-brand strategy (generic brand) means that little money is spent on advertisement or classical marketing, and Muji's success is attributed to word of mouth, a simple shopping experience, and the anti-brand movement. Muji's no-brand strategy also means its products are attractive to customers who prefer unbranded products for aesthetic reasons, and because it provides an alternative to traditional branded products.
In terms of Muji's advertising of their products, Kenya Hara states that because customers perceived Muji in different ways, advertising would have to be used to present information rather than to communicate a message. These customer perceptions included liking Muji's ecological approach, appreciation for their urban aesthetics, a perception of low cost, and a perception of sophisticated design.
Muji has released a T-shirt with a rubber square on the chest for customers to design their own logo or message. Muji now sells paper products (such as notebooks) which can be personalized by customers using rubber stamps in-store at no charge. They also sell soft goods (such as T-shirts and hats) which can be computer embroidered to customer specifications, and picked up a few hours or days later.
Design approach and production
On its corporate website, Ryohin Keikaku Ltd rationalises its principles in terms of producing high quality products at "lower than usual" retail prices, true to the original Muji marketing slogan "lower priced for a reason". On its catalogue website Muji states that "at the heart of Muji design is the Japanese concept of Kanketsu, the concept of simplicity", aiming to "bring a quiet sense of calm into strenuous everyday lives". In an interview, Hiroyoshi Azami, President of Muji USA, described Muji's design culture as centred around designing "simple" products that are basic and necessary.
In its design, Muji also follows environmental guidelines, seeking to "restrict the use of substances that may have a significant impact on people or the environment" and "reduce waste by standardising modules, facilitating disassembly, and by reducing packaging".
The Muji design process resists technology for its own sake, and prototype designs are produced on paper rather than computers, so as not to encourage unnecessary detail. The manufacturing process is determined by the consumer's use of the product, which is a design priority. Finishes, lines, and forms are minimised for manufacturing ease.
In recent years, Muji has looked towards appreciating local culture and craftsmanship. The Found Muji line of products is a movement where Muji's designers find products and designs that follow the company's design approach, focusing on crafts and items that are used globally.
Manufacturers
Generally, Muji keeps its manufacturing sources private.
One notable exception is the brand's collaboration with Thonet, the oldest German furniture maker. In 2008, Muji and Thonet announced their cooperation to produce two lines of minimalist furniture. The first was bentwood chairs designed by James Irvine in homage to the iconic No. 14 chair of Thonet. The second was steel tubular chairs and desks designed by Konstantin Grčić. Roland Ohnacker, managing director of Thonet, stated that the aim was "to help 18 to 35 year-olds enter the Thonet brand world". From Spring 2009, these furniture are available at selected Muji stores.
