There’s a new Muji store on my road and I had heard it was huge and included a cafe so I thought I’d pop along to have a look. Imagine my surprise when I saw the queue snaking down the street.
People are actually queuing to go into a shop to spend money. There are no discounts available just lots of minimalist and often minute Japanese kitchen tools and transparent storage cases.
So when did shops become tourist attractions? It had that feel of a new Apple Store opening about it. I wasn’t that bothered about seeing inside the shop so passed by and kept walking towards People’s Square. After an hour I found myself back at the door and decided to see what all the fuss was about.
Now I am not the biggest shopper – I don’t like browsing unless I am looking to buy something – but I was curious about the draw of this Japanese wonderstore.
The biggest mass of people was around a wooden table where there were lots of ink stamps and there were (mostly) girls stamping icons and pictures of angels and rabbits and other such stupidity on the notebooks they had just bought. I really don’t see the appeal but then I am not a young Chinese girl so I guess that’s the point.
Free wifi was available but only to those with a receipt from the cafe till so I had to pass on that and made a mental note to try out the cafe next weekend.
The sofas and beds, in true IKEA fashion had people in and on them, sitting eating the chocolate raisins they had just paid for, texting their friends and generally chilling out.
The new Muji store will at least save the population of Xuhui going all the way to IKEA for a lie down.