What is it? A new, enormous branch of our favourite Japanese home retailer on Huaihai Lu. The largest store in China opened its doors at the weekend to long queues and enthusiastic crowds, keen to explore the new three-storey store and new touches such as the Muji Café and Muji Books.
What’s on the shelves? In a word, everything. Obviously there are the chic and functional homewares we know and love, plus a large range of practical and colourful stationary.
But the new Muji is so much more, with Muji bikes (1,000RMB), an extensive range of clothing, plants, children's toys, plus a chic range of Boston bags (598RMB each) - and that's just the ground floor.
On the second floor, the shelves are packed with menswear plus more housewares, practical storage space and advertising for Muji House – Muiji’s own range of prefab housing.
There is also a small separate store for the Muji’s tie-up with Japanese design brand IDEE, which is a bright splash of colour among Muji’s practical neutrality. The concession is selling a range of bright and stylish items for the home including stylish coffee mugs (110RMB) in bright colours, plus a range of gorgeous rag mats full of patterns, from 270RMB to 7,300RMB.
The top floor is given over to a sizeable books section, mostly art books, dotted about in English, Chinese and Japanese, in a wonderfully colourful kaleidoscope of languages. Adjacent is a large reading room full of squahy bean bags. This floor is also worth a visit for the (packed) café and a wide range of Muji food and snacks, along with an event space.
There are also other ways for shoppers to get involved, including an area where you can make your own home scent, and a rather manic station where shoppers can personalise plain tote bags with stamps (from Muji, of course).
What's the verdict? This is Muji on steroids. It’s huge and comprehensive, covering everything you could possibly need for your house, including the house itself. It's clear that the interior is chic and minimalistic throughout, although we are a little worried the store will always be too packed to really enjoy it. Shanghai has gone Muji-mad.
