Makiko Okamoto goes shopping at the new Muji store. Photo: Angela Wylie
In Japan, retail giant MUJI is known for stocking everything from the clothes on your back to the building you live in, but its first store in Australia stocks a very local line – fluffy koalas and kangaroo cushions.
Perhaps it is catering for the visiting Japanese tourist but Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi workers Makiko Okamoto and Rumiko Koiko, who live in Melbourne, snapped them up on Tuesday at the official opening in Chadstone.
"How cute," Ms Okamoto said, inspecting her kangaroo's pouch.
The retail giant has 610 stores globally and is found in 25 countries. The brand is known for eco-friendly basics with a no-frills, no-labels quality.
In Japan it sells apparel, homewares, cosmetics, electronics, and even builds homes. It has its own camping sites, once manufactured a car, has cafes and carries a wide variety of food lines including take home dinners.
The store in Melbourne feels a little like a cross between a Typo store and Country Road, with a Japanese flair.
Store manager Antony Arnaz said the Melbourne store was initially concentrating on clothing, homewares, drinks and stationery but hoped to expand to electronic goods, foods and other lines. Known for its affordability in Japan, Mr Arnaz said the Australian prices were influenced by shipping and currency differences, but he said Australian prices were usually only a couple of dollars more. Some items did have higher prices though, he said, with a shirt for $A60 at Chadstone selling for ¥4000 ($A42) in Japan.
Mr Arnaz said the company had a sustainability ethos, citing its use of pesticide-free cotton and towels designed with a grid pattern so they can be easily cut up and recycled as cleaning rags.
He said the store was close to the hearts of many Japanese.
"MUJI is a lifeblood in Japan, everyone knows you can find a store on every corner," Mr Arnaz said.
Bearing this out was Sydneysider, Azusa Weedon-Newsteao, who used her business contacts to secure an invite to the official opening, flying in from Melbourne specially for the Tuesday morning preview. The store was open to the general public from noon.
After 20 years in Australia she pines for the store's cosmetics and stocks up whenever she is in Japan.
"It is very exciting," Ms Weedon-Newsteao said.
"I think any person can accept MUJI products, they are really good quality. When you start using them you understand." Deputy Premier Peter Ryan broke a sake drum with MUJI's Global President Masaaki Kanai to launch the store.
Mr Ryan said the new store would provide 40 jobs in Melbourne with two more stores planned for Melbourne. The company's Australian headquarters will also be in Melbourne.
Mr Ryan said the Office of State Development helped MUJI develop its business case for a Melbourne store, but did not provide any financial incentive to the company.
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