Minimalist Japanese retailer Muji is looking to open in Vancouver, as it expands its store network Canada-wide.
Muji will open stores across Canada over the next several years. It has secured its first Canadian location in Toronto, with further locations to follow in various Canadian cities.
Known for being innovative and its products being affordable and unbranded, Muji carries various household items, furniture, appliances, stationary and apparel. With hundreds of stores worldwide, it saves money by avoiding locating stores in high-rent areas and spends little to nothing on market research and advertising. Muji’s Canadian stores will carry about 3,000 products — less than the roughly 7,500 carried in its Japanese stores. Muji is short for Mujirushi Ryohin, or no-brand superior items, and was founded in 1980 as the private-label brand of a major supermarket chain (not unlike Canadian brand Joe Fresh).
We’re told that Muji is looking to open at least one Vancouver location, if not several. Interestingly, Muji isn’t using a Canadian brokerage to secure Canadian retail space. Rather, the retailer is coordinating securing its own Canadian leases. This is according to Uniqlo‘s Canadian broker, who we initially expected was involved with Muji’s Canadian expansion.
Muji currently operates nine American stores. Five are in New York City, and four are in California (San Francisco, San Jose, Hollywood, and Santa Monica). Given Muji’s choice for its first American stores, we expect that Vancouver will be Canada’s next city to house multiple Muji locations. We can confirm, as well, that landlords we’ve spoken with in other Canadian cities are also very interested in securing Muji as tenants for their properties.
We’ll update this article when we learn more about Muji’s Vancouver locations. Stay tuned for more exciting retail announcements from RETAIL INSIDER, here on Vancity Buzz.
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