Muji had two openings: Unofficial and official. The 15th of Oct. marked its unofficial opening. It's a day for invited guests, friends, and press releasing. And Oct. 16 is the official opening of the store to the public.
As usual, celebrities and common people crowded to the Japanese sensation store. I went there at around 8pm, hoping not to catch a mob of people shopping. When I got there, there were also a hundred others who were thinking of the same thing. In short, there were still a lot of people.
And the line is horrendous. It was long, and the cashier people are like freaking out because they didn't expect the overwhelming welcome of the Filipinos for Muji. Good thing I was in dire need of a toner. If not, I will not waste my time falling in line.
Below are some of the best shots that I can get. It felt like I was in a Sardines can even if the place is kinda' big. Yep, that's how Filipinos respond to fads.
The make- up (yes, you read it right. Muji has make- up!), skin, and body care section
The entry level skin and body care products
The more expensive skin and body care stuff
The personal care for travel section
The pens and notebooks section
The Clothes and Accessories section
The Bed and Bath section
Now I'm just being opinionated. Honestly, I don't understand why Muji was being hyped even before it opened here in the Philippines. What happens to hyped up stuff is, you end up being disappointed in the end because your expectations skyrocket to unimaginable heights. If I just see this store one day if Im strolling in TFHS, and didn't even have a clue what Muji is all about, I would probably be amused.
Honestly, it's all department store stuff at The Fort High Street prices. Forgive me for raining on any parade, but, I really think that Muji's stuff are way overpriced! It's like this: an upscale Daiso/Saizen store. The only difference is, they have home stuff. And regarding the acrylic drawers, I find them pretty expensive, though I admit that they would really look good on my dresser and study table.
I can't bring myself to understanding as to why the pens are overtly expensive. I mean, c'mon! What makes them different from the pens you find in National Bookstore?! I was about to pay for a pink and purple gel pen and found out that they cost at around 80php+ each. Before the SA printed the receipt, I told the SA to void the pens from it.
And the clothes. Oh the clothes. They're horrible. Why? Because they're expensive, yet tasteless! I do understand that they aim understated, streamlined, simple, and down-to-earth styles, but I can get the same stuff from Giordano at a tad cheaper price! The shirts are too simple for 900php or 1k, the cardigans are too sheer to protect you from the cold, and the sizes are big--or too loose. Their clothing section is like meant for people who like wearing baggy clothes.
Just like how money experts would tell you to steer clear of fixed price stores, I would say that the same goes to Muji. They have a lot of interesting stuff, but only to the point that they're only interesting, but in reality, you can do without them. If you're into cheap skin care, then I can recommend that you Muji a visit. But if you're the type who is always at the brink of maxing out their credit card, do yourself and your wallet a favor. Practice responsible shopping first, then pay Muji a visit.
**Muji at The Fort High Street is located at the second level of the building where Gap is located .
DID YOU GUYS VISIT MUJI? WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS? LIKE IT OR LEAVE IT? I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS!
5 Comments
I think prior to going, you could have at least checked other blogs from other countries because being a Japanese based company, these things dont come in cheap. You could have done more research.
ReplyDeleteMuji is a simple store targeted for a certain demographic so yes, if you knew this before hand, you should have avoided the opening rush.
Hi Martha,
ReplyDeleteI had to choose Forever21 over Muji :) yup, a pain in the ass. :)
Good thing you scored skincare stuff over there. Will check the store out for stationeries and organizers :)
herroyalbleakness: Yes, I would choose f21 anytime over muji. But not when f21 is on a sale. :p
ReplyDeleteaioki: hi! thanks for visiting. I have no problem with the number of people. My big question is the pricing. As stated, I do understand their principle. But if you can get some of the stuff there from the department store, and at a cheaper cost, then I say, to the dept. store we go. I've been reading a local forum where there's a topic about Muji Phils. Some even claim that the prices here are even cheaper as compared to HK and Singapore. But I still do believe that some of their stuff are too costly.
And you're right. I've also noticed that trend with Japanese brands. They're really expensive.
Hi Martha, as someone who loved Muji even way before the brand was introduced here, let me respond to some of your points.
ReplyDeleteFirst, I agree that I was disappointed and underwhelmed (I said so in a blog entry). Mostly because I've been to Muji stores abroad, and the selection here doesn't compare to what they have abroad. Plus, the prices here are higher than in Singapore and in Hongkong (I believe I also said so in the GT post). Chuvaness is the one saying it's cheaper, but I have receipts to prove that's not true(honestly, I think she's being paid to hype the store)
Re the pricing: We have to admit...anything from Japan is priced high. Even Saizen is not cheap, they just mix in the truly cheap products with the rest and you think you're already getting a deal.
Personally, the beauty of Muji is the variety, the selection that you have. It's like a one-stop shop for everything and anything you need. But because they downsized the selection here, the essence of being a one-stop shop is lost.
Re: the acrylics - they're pricey, but I'll take them compared to the acrylics sold in PCX or Rustans or Make Room which are way more expensive. Acrylics are really expensive in the first place.
Finally, the clothes - I agree, they're plain and drab. The selling point I think is the materials they used (organic ba? I don't know). But personally, they're not my type.
melvel: thank you for your reply. very much appreciated!
ReplyDeletewell at least that's interesting. you can compare the muji here and abroad. when i found out that ssi is bringing it here, i already expected that prices would be expensive.
it just sucks that we got some unimpressive stuff here. maybe if they really brought the whole store, i mean including whatever nice stuff they have abroad, maybe what I'm paying for could make sense.
and i've read in their site that they're using organic cotton for their clothes. well, kaya pala. the material itself is expensive to make.
but it doesn't matter if it's organic or synthetic cotton. i do appreciate their effort in conserving the environment. but my gosh. they should get better designers for their clothes!
Let me know what you think of this post! :)