Japanese homeware company Ryohin Keikaku will bring its distinct collection of “no brand, quality goods” to Vietnam in the near future.
According to a press release published yesterday on its official website, Ryohin Keikaku Co., Ltd. will establish a Vietnam branch of its household goods chain Muji in August 2019.
“Ryohin Keikaku Co., Ltd. […] announced today that the Board of Directors has resolved the establishment of a subsidiary, MUJI Vietnam Limited Liability Company, in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (hereafter Vietnam) for further business development,” the press release says.
Muji’s upcoming headquarters will be based in Saigon, with plans to open the brand’s first store in the city in spring 2020. Vietnam is the last major overseas market in the Asia-Pacific region without a Muji presence. The country’s large population and rapid economic growth contributed to Ryohin Keikaku’s decision for expansion, the statement says.
Established in 1980, Ryohin Keikaku began as a private label of the Seiyu Japanese supermarket chain, according to Nikkei Asian Review. In the 1980s, Muji only had 40 products but now boasts a repertoire of more than 7,000 different household items. Its international brand Muji is a shorthand for Mujirushi Ryohin, meaning “no brand, quality goods.”
In 1991, it went global for the first time, with stores in the United Kingdom and Hong Kong. The expansion to Vietnam, both in terms of production and retail presence, is part of the company's strategy to cushion slowing sales in China after a slew of hiccups related to legal issues and public relations.
[Photo via MUJI]
