What is

Fast-growing corporation 7256

8000
New York

7000
Italia
Singapore
6000 Korea

MUJI
5000 Cafe

4000

3000
1st oversea store
London
2000 flagship stores
concept store
Tokyo
1st store
1000
Clothes
Established
0
1980 1982 1984 1986 1989 1991 1993 1995 1998 2002 2005 2007
40

History of MUJI: from 40 to 7,000

 Clear business model
Retailers Design No Brand Mujiers Mass Market
!MoMA Design Store ! !
! !
!Central
Alshaya
Department Store
Manufacture Quality Goods Interactions
! ! !Design contests
Manufacturers Marketing Selection of !Design your own t-shirt
! Materials
Logistics !
! Packaging
Consultants
! People Retail Stores
Designers !
Designers, Sales !
! Product Parter Stores
!
High quality, good design !MoMA Store
Brand Online Store
The “No Brand” Brand

Production Retail Stores

!Manufacture, transportation, storage !
Human Resources Apps in App Store
!Designers, Sales
Marketing

Business Model Canvas

The “No-Brand” Brand

Identity

Visual Identity: Logo, Color

Visual Identity
Design

CD Player from MUJI

Environment: At home, At work, On the go
NO BRAND QUALITY GOODS SELECTION OF MATERIALS PACKAGING
natural design, simple products considerable attention not to adorn
reasonable prices, high quality most suitable raw materials highlight natural colours and shapes
complement today’s lifestyles recycling unused materials conserve resources, reduce waste

Brand Identity
What is different about
Stationery Products
Stationery Products
Stationery Products
 Luxury
Basic
Durable Weak
Affordable Expensive

Limited
Broad

Brand Positioning Chart/ Attribute Star Chart

 Fine

$49.95

$29.95

$15.95

$8.95 $16
$8.95
$6.50

$14
$14.95

$5.5
$4.95 $5.95
$3.75

$2.25 $3.5

$1.5
$1.5

$1
Basic

$1 $10 $100
Product Positioning Chart/ Product Price Dot Chart

Pen
 $1.25 $1.5 $6.25 $6.5 $6.75
$3.75 $4.75 $4.95

$3 $6 $7 $8 $9 $9 $12 $13

$3 $12.95 $13.95 $14.95 $18.95 $19.95 $21.95 24.95

$1 $10 $25
Product Positioning Chart/ Product Price Dot Chart

Pen
Understanding
Customer Data Analysis Interview
! !
Studied myMUJI, and MUJI event on 5 people in different ages, locations,
Pinterest for customers to submit gender, occupation and education
photos of them using MUJI products !
! !
! !
! !
! Asked their motivations for buying
56 user submissions MUJI products
! !
! !
! !
! !
35 has portraits Experience of shopping or using MUJI
products

User Researches
The “No-Brand” Brand
Yuki

• Age 25, Married

• Product manager at Google

• Mountain View, CA

• MS in Software Engineering,
CMU
Yuki’s parents moved from Japan to
San Francisco when she was 9 years
old.

When she was young, there’re lots of

MUJI products used in their house.

Beside work, Yuki has a personal blog

!
where she posts funny stories about
“I love window shopping.”
working in a IT firm. But it has not !
been updated for the past month !
since she is on her honeymoon trip. “I has a box of my childhood collections.”
Yep, she just got married. !
!
“I empathize with others.”
!
Jake

• Age 32, Single

• Lead designer at Apix Fashion

Design

• NYC, NY

• MA in Fashion Design, Parsons

Jake used to be a huge party animal,
going out to clubs every friday night.
But he’s changed somewhat since his
early 30.

Now he enjoys having brunch with

friends in west village, then take a
walk in SoHo.

!
“Minimalism is my thing.”
He enjoys going to MUJI’s SoHo !
store, to buy some stuffs, or just to !
browse.
“I like designs that are thoughtful.”
!
!
“I want to hear the stories behind a
product.”
!
Heng

• Age 19, in a relationship

• Undergraduate student at
SCAD

• Savannah, GA

• BA in Animation, SCAD
Heng started the undergraduate
program in animation at SCAD two
years back.

Beside school, Heng also works as a

waiter for a restaurant during the
weekend, to make up for his living
expenses.

!
“I can’t afford expensive stuffs.”
In his leisure time, he likes to take a !
walk by the beach, jots down his !
thoughts or sketches.
“I only buy things that are necessary.”
!
!
“Online shopping is so convenient.”
!
 Post
Pre-engagement In Engagement
e
as
engagement
Ph

Pen ran out Walk by Approach Try out Decide the Wait in line for Pay by credit Use the pen
of ink Muji Soho stationary different pens one to buy cashier card
ep

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St

Muji sign Stationary Write on Metal material Smell the Swipe credit Use this pen
nt

products sample paper of this pen fragrance; card to write

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or

Jake’s customer journey of buying a pen at Muji Soho Store

Happy : D Somewhat Happy : ) Neutral : | Somewhat Unhappy : ( Unhappy : <
 Pre
In Engagement
e
as
engagement
Ph

Classes Go to Go to online Stationery > Quick viewed Add 2 View cart Set shipping
started and Muji us store Notebooks several notebooks to page and tax
ep

no notebooks homepage page notebooks. cart

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products into deliverability directly w/o checkout for purchase
pp p
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one. Show “sold putting in cart button over certain

or

out” clearly amount

Heng’s customer journey of purchase a notebook at Muji online 1

Happy : D Somewhat Happy : ) Neutral : | Somewhat Unhappy : ( Unhappy : <
 Post
In Engagement
e
as
engagement
Ph

Choose Fill Billing & Choose Fill Payment Confirm Confirmation Receive Use the
checkout Shipping Shipping Information Order email package notebook
ep

method Information Method

St

Checkout “Continue” “Continue” “Continue” “Continue” confirmation package Taking notes

nt

method button in last button in last button in last button in last email on the
oi
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uc
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Checkout Checkout Checkout Checkout Checkout gmail.com FedEx staff Notebook

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on

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Shipping Already Received Notebook is

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information selected within 4 days. easy to write.

pl p.
ne
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before
Remember
previous
pp p
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or

Heng’s customer journey of purchase a notebook at Muji online 2

Happy : D Somewhat Happy : ) Neutral : | Somewhat Unhappy : ( Unhappy : <
What if the opportunity
lies not in MUJI’s products
“Now I have a much better understanding of MUJI,

a brand that I’ve never heard of.”

The “No-Brand” Brand
20/35
asian
all
Gap between current customer segments
and potential customers
Does not know the brand
Does not know how MUJI products can help them
Shelf
Use social sharing to attract new customers
Does not know the brand
User stories with MUJI products to help potential users
Does not know how MUJI products can help them