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In the Chinese consumer market, there was once a brand that conquered the hearts of countless literary and artistic youths and the middle class with its unique "frigidity" style. It's Muji, a retail marvel from Japan.
However, the once-sought-after brand now seems to be in trouble. According to the February 2022 financial report, Muji's operating profit fell sharply by 40.3% year-on-year, while in the Chinese market, profit fell by 3.5%.
What's even more surprising is that since October 2014, MUJI has cut prices 11 times in a row in China, but it has still not been able to reverse the decline. Why is what used to be a retail myth suddenly not selling? This issue has aroused widespread attention and discussion in the industry.
In 1979, there was a silent revolution in Japanese retail. In the era of excessive packaging of goods, an entrepreneur named Kiyoji Tsutsumi came up with a bold idea: to create a brand that returns to the essence of goods.
The idea stemmed from his deep thinking about the current state of the market at the time, arguing that excessive packaging was not only a waste of resources, but also fueled unnecessary consumerism.
And just like that, MUJI was born. Kiyoji Tsutsumi and his partners came up with a subversive concept – "anti-branding". The concept advocates removing superfluous decorations and packaging from merchandise and refocusing attention on the product's practical value.
This innovative thinking soon attracted a group of like-minded designers, the most representative of which was Kazuko Tanaka.
Tanaka's design philosophy is simple and profound: he believes that even the most ordinary everyday objects can reveal their inner beauty beyond their glamorous appearances through simple design.
His works are like a clear stream, unique in the dazzling world of goods. This design philosophy provides a solid aesthetic foundation for MUJI.
Designer Kenya Hara, who then took over the baton, pushed this minimalist aesthetic to new heights. In 2003, he led the team to produce a commercial called "Horizon".
There is only the white earth, the blue sky, and a slender horizon, and a tiny figure looming in the distance. This minimalist image contains a profound meaning: MUJI pursues a state of "emptiness", a state of unfettered freedom.
Kenya Hara once explained his design philosophy: "Our beds can be comfortable sofas or flexible to create floor space. This state of free use is what we call 'emptiness'.
This unique design concept was in stark contrast to the mainstream products on the market at the time, and earned MUJI a large following.
In this way, MUJI has carved out a niche of its own in the highly competitive retail market with its unique design concept and minimalist style. It is not only selling goods, but also spreading a way of life, a philosophy of life that returns to the basics and pursues the essence.
This philosophy offers a new direction for many people to think about and choose in a modern society where materialism is prevalent.
In the mid-2000s, China's consumer market was undergoing a quiet transformation. Consumers are beginning to pursue branded, environmentally friendly, personalized and fashionable products, while domestic brands have not yet fully grasped this trend.
It was at this time that MUJI entered the Chinese market with its unique "frigidity" style and quickly became the darling of literary youth and the middle class.
Walking into a MUJI store, you will find a world like no other. There are no flashy decorations, no elaborate designs, and even conspicuous brand logos are rare.
However, it is this minimalist style that has attracted countless consumers who pursue a quality life.
In the store, you may see a young lady carefully examining a ballpoint pen that costs more than ten yuan. Despite the high price, there was a glint of appreciation in her eyes.
For her, it's not just a pen, it's a reflection of an attitude to life.
The appeal of MUJI is not limited to stationery. From furniture to electrical appliances, from daily necessities to house design, it covers almost every aspect of life. At that time, owning a Muji pure white storage box became a symbol of taste.
Even though the price is high, consumers still flock to it.
This phenomenon reflected a characteristic of the Chinese consumer market at the time: consumers were no longer satisfied with purely functional products, but began to seek products that reflected their personal tastes and lifestyles.
MUJI meets this need by representing a simple but not simple way of life, a quest for essentials, and an indifference to the complexity of the world.
MUJI's success in China was largely due to the widespread spread of Japanese culture at the time. Both the Japanese animation industry and the production of Japanese TV dramas have won a large number of loyal fans in China.
These cultural products have imperceptibly influenced the aesthetics and values of Chinese consumers, providing ideas for the concept of MUJI.
At this stage, MUJI is not just a brand, but also a cultural symbol. People buy Muji's products not only to meet their actual needs, but also to express their attitude and values towards life.
However, like all trends, MUJI's brilliance will eventually be put to the test. Will the original group of loyal fans be as enthusiastic as ever? Will the market's winds always favour this minimalist style? These questions, at that peak of infinite scenery, perhaps no one will seriously think about them.
Muji's trip to China began with a wave of praise. It not only conquered consumers' wallets, but also won their hearts. However, the market is changing rapidly, and it will take time to sustain this success.
Once glamorous, MUJI is now facing unprecedented challenges. In February 2022, a worrying financial report shattered the calm of the Japanese retail miracle: operating profit plummeted by 40.3% from the same period last year, with profits in East Asia, mainly China, falling by 3.5%.
This once dominant brand is now in trouble.
Faced with such a situation, MUJI is not sitting still. Since October 2014, they have adjusted the prices of their products in the Chinese market 11 times in a row, trying to win back the hearts of consumers by cutting prices.
However, even so, sales have not improved significantly. Consumers who once flocked to the brand are now showing little interest in the brand.
First of all, we have to admit that times are changing, and consumer preferences are also quietly changing. Japanese products, once seen as a symbol of avant-garde and high quality, are no longer the only option in the market.
The rise of domestic brands has given consumers more choices. Those young people who were once obsessed with Muji's minimalist style may now prefer national fashion products with national characteristics.
This shift reflects the improvement of consumers' sense of identity with local culture, as well as the improvement of design and quality of domestic brands.
Second, consumers are becoming more rational. The original mentality of "a ballpoint pen can be accepted for more than a dozen yuan" has been replaced by a more cost-effective consumption concept.
People are starting to ask: why pay a high price for a simple design? This trend of rational consumption undoubtedly poses a challenge to MUJI's high-price strategy.
In addition, the influence of Japanese culture in the Chinese market is gradually weakening. Once upon a time, Japanese anime and TV dramas had a large number of fans in China, and these cultural products subtly influenced people's aesthetics and consumption concepts.
However, with the vigorous development of the domestic cultural industry, this influence is gradually weakening. Consumers' cultural preferences are changing, which also indirectly affects their attitudes towards Japanese brands.
Faced with such a situation, Muji's management must be under pressure. They may be in a late-night conference room wondering: Do you want to change your long-held design philosophy? Do you want to adapt your product line to meet market demand? However, these options are fraught with risks.
If you change too much, you may lose the core value of your brand; If you don't change, you may be further marginalized by the market.
In this ever-changing market, MUJI is like a ship sailing through a storm. Its once loyal fans may now have switched to other brands.
Minimalist designs that were once seen as unique charms may now be bland. The market is changing so fast that one can't help but wonder if MUJI will ever find its place.
Muji's predicament, to some extent, also reflects the challenges of the entire retail industry. In this era of information explosion and diverse choices, how to maintain the uniqueness and attractiveness of the brand, how to find a balance between sticking to the concept and catering to the market, these are all difficult problems that every brand needs to face.
For MUJI, the road ahead is full of unknowns. Will it be able to win back over consumers? Is it able to adapt to changes in the market while maintaining its own characteristics? The answers to these questions may only be given in time.
But one thing is certain, and that is that MUJI must do something about it, or the retail myth of the past may indeed become a thing of the past.
Looking back at the history of MUJI, we can't help but sigh at the profound irony contained in it. At the beginning of the brand's birth, Kiyoji Tsutsumi and his team had the ideal of "anti-branding", hoping to challenge the traditional brand concept and return the product to its essence.
However, after 40 years of ups and downs, MUJI has inadvertently shaped its own unique brand image and premium effect.
It's a ridiculous shift. MUJI, which once boasted "a good product without a name," is now attracting attention for its brand effect. Those simple designs, those plain packaging, have become its iconic features, and even become a fashion symbol.
This contradiction may be one of the root causes of MUJI's current predicament. It wants to keep its original intention and adhere to the concept of minimalism; We have to face the reality of the market and maintain the premium effect of the brand.
In this tug-of-war, MUJI seems to have lost its way, struggling to balance the contradiction between ideals and reality.
This shift from "anti-brand" to "brand premium" is not only a paradox in the development of MUJI, but also a microcosm of the development of the entire consumer market.
It reminds us that how to stick to the original intention and maintain the authenticity of the brand while pursuing business success is a question that every business needs to think about.
The story of MUJI provides us with a profound revelation. It reminds us that even the most successful brands need to keep up with the times. Minimalist design has its own unique charm, but how to maintain the concept while meeting the changing needs of the market is a question that every brand needs to think deeply.
In the future, MUJI may need to re-examine its market positioning and find a balance between staying true to its original intention and adapting to market changes. This can mean adjustments in product design, pricing strategy, and brand communication.
For the entire design community, Muji's experience is undoubtedly a case worthy of in-depth study. It will influence the future direction of minimalist design and provide valuable lessons for other brands in the face of market changes.
In the end, whether MUJI can regain the favor of consumers is not only related to the fate of the brand itself, but also an important indicator of the survival and development of minimalist design in the contemporary consumer market.
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