Muji aims to widen market with affordable goods zone at larger new stores in Thailand
Japan's leading retailer Muji is reaching out to customers outside Bangkok by providing an affordable goods zone in its new full-size stores.
Akihiro Kamogari, managing director of Muji Retail (Thailand), said at the soft opening on Thursday that the total area of over 1,700 square metres of Muji at Robinson Lifestyle Ratchaphruek will be the standard size model the company will apply to open new store in new location.
The majority of locations will be in Bangkok and its surrounding areas, as well as other major cities with high density of population and purchasing power, such as Chiang Mai and Chonburi, where Muji already has opened new branches during the fourth quarter of this year.
"There are currently 29 Muji stores in Bangkok's prime districts. Eleven of the stores are spread over 1,500 square metres. We plan to open four more stores with this new standard size next year, and seven more by 2024," Kamogari revealed.
Regarding the existing stores with minimum size of 500-800 square metres, he stated that Muji intends to renovate with more space. However, the process is still being worked out with the department store.
Muji (Thailand)'s head of merchandising, Phannarat Lowakij, added that this new roadside model store with two floors will also serve as a pilot area for the retailer to test launch new in-house products.
She revealed that this store has a new hot menu of bakery items, Japanese soft serve ice cream, skincare and haircare product groups, and Muji Curry, which is one of Japan's best-selling products.
She stated that all of these products are now only available at Muji Robinson Lifestyle Ratchaphruek.
"We'd like to see how our clients respond," she said, promising that more new items would be added in the future.
Meanwhile, for the first time in Thailand, Muji Robinson Lifestyle Ratchaphruek has opened a good price zone for products below 300 baht. The good price zone will include popular high-quality products from various categories priced under 300 baht.
The zone follows the new concept of grouping products under 500 yen for the first time at Mitake station in Tokyo, Japan in October.
According to Phannarat, the goal is to communicate to people that Muji also offers high-quality products at reasonable prices. The zone will be included in all new stores opening in the next two years.
She anticipates that Muji's new good-price zone will help increase sales of the company's daily-life products, which are divided into three main categories: household, garments, and foods.
In order to provide the exact daily life product that Thai people require, Muji has introduced the concept of Asean merchandise.
The concept is to use local resources in combination with Muji simplicity of design to create products for local use, such as furniture made from rubber wood and shirts made from natural fibres that are suitable for Thailand's hot and humid weather.
According to Kamogari, Muji will focus on developing new daily products to meet Thai people's demand, particularly in food and beverages, starting next year. With a pricing strategy, Muji will also expand its offline and online sales channels.
Muji at Robinson Lifestyle Ratchaphruek will open its doors on December 23, 2022.
Muji began its operations in Thailand as a franchise in 2006, before forming a joint venture company with Central Department Store through Muji Retail (Thailand) in 2013. Muji now has over 3,000 product items in Thailand.
