Why Can MUJI Always Control The Trend And Follow The Trend?

The essence of Zen lies in simplifying things and removing things from prosperity. Its essence is beauty.

MUJI removes the simple and quiet life philosophy to consumers through eliminating the surplus ingredients in the merchandise, highlighting the brand characteristics.

According to the world clothing shoes and hats net,

MUJI has been established in 1980s for 38 years. From Japan to the world, MUJI has been singing all over the world, developing 700 stores and more than 7000 products worldwide, becoming the benchmark of global retailing.

Why is MUJI always able to control the trend and follow the trend?

1. MUJI does not restrict target customers.

Traditional enterprises serve only a specific group of people, while MUJI covers all consumers who agree with their ideas.

MUJI sells the concept of "comfortable life". People of different cultures and ages feel the same about comfort. Therefore, MUJI style is loved by people all over the world.

1. infiltrate target customers

MUJI's merchandise has crossed cultural barriers because of its simple and plain characteristics.

The basic principle of MUJI R & D is to create goods that most people consider "good", like the greatest common divisor, to meet the needs of everyone and every culture as far as possible.

The general theory of marketing is to identify target customers first and then make products according to the needs of the customer group.

The basic theory of marketing STP (market segmentation, target market, market positioning) refers to first classifying customers (market segmentation), deciding the target customers group (target market), and finally positioning the company's Commodity Services (market positioning).

If consumers are not restricted, targeting the whole market, it seems that they can sell more products. In fact, the effect is far less than the target customers set in advance.

Because if the target is not clear, too much dilution of the characteristics, the commodity will lose the selling point, and it will be difficult to promote to the customer.

The theory of marketing is to use the limited resources to achieve the best results, so we should clearly select the target customers.

Of course, the whole market can be taken as a goal, but it is difficult to implement in the actual enterprise strategy.

However, MUJI's marketing hardly follows the STP theory.

It is generally believed that the MUJI consumer group is mainly concentrated in the second generation of the generation of generations, that is, 35-45 year old women.

But in fact, MUJI's products are not limited.

After a good target customer group is identified, the production of goods will be more and more in line with customers' preferences and finally meet the needs of customers.

And MUJI's commodity production ambition is not here.

The goal of MUJI is to make MUJI products penetrate into his / her life no matter where and who the user is.

2. sense of comfort: the instinctive demand for human interaction.

MUJI has a hot commodity called "lazy sofa", the official name of which is "comfortable sofa".

The sofa is filled with about 0.5mm of particle foam. It can be freely deformed according to the sitting posture of the user and fully encased the body.

"Once you sit down, you don't want to get up." it's too comfortable to sit on the table and do not want to move at all. "It's this unique feeling that makes it difficult for the sitting people to leave.

This "comfortable sofa" is widely praised not only in Japan, but also around the world.

It can be seen that things that praise people all over the world across different cultures and races are real.

In MUJI, there are many products like "lazy sofa", which sell well all over the world while selling well in Japan.

For example, aroma fumigating machine, semi pparent storage box, polypropylene storage box, stationery and so on.

The permanent commodities of these Japanese shops can also be relocated to overseas stores.

MUJI's products are mainly daily necessities such as life department stores and clothing.

Generally speaking, daily necessities are most vulnerable to people's living habits and culture.

However, MUJI can export the original products sold in Japan, not only has gained a large number of "fans", but also gained the recognition of different cultures.

Why is that?

There is no denying that people in different countries and regions have great differences in their living habits and culture.

However, before human beings create some habits and cultures, they first exist as creatures in the world.

Therefore, people around the world feel comfortable about "comfort", "comfort" and "discomfort".

What brings comfort to the Japanese will also make foreigners feel very comfortable with different cultures.

In other words, the comfort of "lazy sofa" can make people all over the world feel comfortable.

MUJI is constantly exporting to the world something like "lazy sofa", a favorite product.

"Comfort" and "comfort" not only refer to physical feelings, but also include more convenient operation, more natural appearance and practical functions.

The whole world is pursuing a more comfortable life, and MUJI has been working hard for it.

Two, MUJI does not make product selection and concentration.

MUJI's products cover many fields such as clothing, life, food and so on.

Generally, a company will launch promotional activities for a product, and the goal of MUJI is to provide more products to each customer.

1. differentiation: Interdisciplinary style unification

Compared with the global brands in Europe and America, the success of MUJI worldwide has epoch-making significance.

The so-called global brand refers to the same name, trademark or advertising language when the product is sold to all parts of the world.

Apple, Starbucks, Louis Vuitton and Coca-Cola are all leaders in this field.

Global brands can use the same marketing strategy all over the world, which can save costs and improve efficiency.

No matter in which country, brand shops and goods are all in the same concept and form; no matter who sees these signs, they can associate with the store style and product characteristics of the brand.

When people talk about apples, they think of the great changes brought by Iphone (Apple Corp's smart phone series) to the world.

When we mention Starbucks, we will think of the "third place" besides home and company.

When I mention Louis Vuitton, I think of an elegant, age conscious shoe and suitcase with the word LV (Louis Vuitton's brand logo).

MUJI, like these global brands, is also sticking to its world outlook and active on the stage of world market.

However, there is an essential difference between MUJI and apple and Starbucks in some aspects, that is, MUJI has an overwhelming advantage in category.

MUJI products span over 7000 categories, including clothing, daily necessities, food and so on.

Therefore, some people think that "MUJI's Curry is best to eat". Others think that "MUJI's baby clothes are the safest". Others think that "MUJI's stationery is the best."

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"Radish cabbage, each has its own love". When it comes to MUJI, people think of different products.

Starbucks, Louis Weedon and apple are all impressed by some specific products, but for MUJI, different people will think of different products.

Although MUJI's products span many fields, it still maintains a unique brand style. This style has penetrated into every commodity of MUJI.

Why can MUJI do this?

Because MUJI's product R & D is based on its brand concept and has created a unified style.

This is why whenever MUJI is mentioned, although people will see different products in their minds, they have a common impression of the overall style of MUJI.

The brand style of MUJI can be roughly summarized as "simplicity" and "nature".

As a "simple and natural consumer goods brand", MUJI is constantly supplying various kinds of goods to the world, and its concept is gradually recognized by the world.

From a different perspective, it is precisely because MUJI does not stick to specific commodities, and its products cover various fields related to daily necessities, which make it establish the existing world outlook.

MUJI has always followed the basic principle of "building a comfortable life" by developing various products that enable people to experience comfortable life and convey their values to the world.

It is precisely because MUJI is committed to pursuing the universal theme of "comfortable life" that it has won the favor of people all over the world.

2. the opposite is true.

The reverse proposition of MUJI is not only reflected in the pursuit of nameless, but also in the aspect of business strategy, MUJI has chosen the road different from the traditional theory.

Retail businesses such as MUJI, which sell their own products, will concentrate their efforts on a particular commodity area.

For example, the main clothing of fast retailing company, UNIQLO, Nidali (Japan's largest home chain store) is mainly living grocery and furniture.

A retail enterprise specializing in a particular field is called a category killer.

This kind of retail business aims at creating unique products of this category and gaining superiority over other competitors.

The biggest goal of these enterprises is to improve sales performance. If there are too many commodity categories, it is bound to cause management difficulties.

In addition, considering manufacturing and logistics, large-scale production with fewer varieties and larger output is also more conducive to cost savings.

But MUJI chose to do the opposite.

MUJI's products include clothing (men's wear, women's wear, children's wear), life (furniture, stationery, daily groceries, interior fabrics, cosmetics), food (semi-finished products, snacks, drinks) and other fields.

This scale of manufacturing and retail businesses is rare.

In addition, MUJI relies on its own lifestyle to design and build "MUJI home" and run camping huts.

MUJI violates the common sense of "choice and concentration", but broadens its own business in many fields.

Therefore, although there are UNIQLO in the clothing field, there are Nidali and IKEA furniture in the field of living furniture, The Body Shop in the cosmetics field, and LOFT and East rush in the field of stationery and adornment. There are Nidali competitors in the field of interior decoration fabric, but no brand can compete with MUJI in the commodity category.

The location of MUJI products is not meant to be liked by everyone.

People who can really understand Muji ideas are one in a million or less.

MUJI, in pursuit of brand in 1980s, came up with the concept of "natural". Even the semi floating paper towel kept the outer box and replaced the core instead.

Therefore, the concept of Muji is an innovation at that time. It is a new and more mature thinking. It has not been accepted by the public.

When the same commodity is sold to 1/10 of the customer group, the general enterprise will launch a sales promotion in order to buy another 20 or even 50 people.

MUJI aims at providing more choices for the customer who understands himself.

Three, MUJI advocates "connecting people and producers".

MUJI collects opinions through life good research institute, creative industry park, MUJI pass and social network. MUJI employees will visit ordinary families to observe how they live and how to use things.

Participating in MUJI product research and development will naturally master a unique skill.

Commodity developers will consider and express their philosophical definition and concept of "what is MUJI" and integrate them into product development.

This is the organizational culture of MUJI.

MUJI's product research and development has always insisted that "Muji is a bridge linking producers and producers".

A living person is a consumer.

MUJI doesn't call customers "consumers", but calls them "living people".

Because MUJI does not regard customers as people who come to "consume", but is in daily life.

The living people can provide us with all kinds of information, such as their wisdom, trouble, happiness, satisfaction, and fetters.

We will get firsthand information directly from customers' homes. Customers can also participate in shop activities and creative industry park network platform.

This is a two-way interaction mode.

In addition, producers will provide us with all kinds of information, such as the production technology and the wisdom of life in the area, the reassuring information, the natural environment, and the problems faced by the locals.

After understanding these information, MUJI will work with producers to complete responsible production.

The so-called responsibility is reasonable production, rational design, innovation technology and authentic inheritance.

For example, MUJI's clothes and groceries are widely used in organic cotton.

The cotton used to produce organic cotton cloth comes from organic cotton fields which are irrigated with organic fertilizer, banned pesticides and chemical fertilizers for more than 3 years.

Because organic cotton has no pesticide residue and delicate skin, it is often used to make baby products.

In a sense, the use of organic cotton is also a protection for growers.

If cotton growers are constantly exposed to pesticides and chemicals in the production process, they will cause great harm to their skin.

On the other hand, organic cotton also has its disadvantages, such as unstable output and low popularity.

Therefore, most garment enterprises regard organic cotton as a high-end commodity.

But MUJI started experimenting with organic cotton to make cotton products early in the morning.

In addition, MUJI will explain the advantages of organic cotton from the perspective of protecting producers.

This is also the difference between it and other enterprises.

MUJI not only takes into account the needs of the customers, but also takes into account the vital interests of the commodity producers, which is also the base of the MUJI.

How do 1. "MUJI goods" be developed?

MUJI commodity planning is not done by individuals alone, but by group work.

The number of commodity developers responsible for each group is huge.

For example, there are knitting, furniture, electronic equipment, outdoor products, household clothes, stationery, health and beauty products, etc. each group has one or two salesmen in charge of commodity planning.

These salesmen and company designers and managers in various fields need to take part in all aspects of product development.

They decide the details of the sale of goods and finally put the goods on the market.

In the stage of commodity planning, R & D personnel must decide the scope of sale of goods (the number of new countries and shops), sales time (sales season, promotion method) and communication channels.

In addition, we should also estimate sales volume during the sales period, make budgets, order, make labels, design shelf locations, and carry out inventory management.

In order to achieve MUJI style, product developers must learn what MUJI is.

Among them, the most basic content is the growth course of MUJI.

Research and development staff through the study of old catalogues and out of print books ("Muji", "Xi You commodity planning department"), or consult experienced predecessors, constantly learning MUJI generation of research and development tools.

Why should we learn from past research and development tools and perspectives?

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Because at the beginning of the brand development in 1980s, there were many representative products.

In addition to the above methods, R & D personnel can also learn about MUJI by reading "prime time" (good plan, 2015).

The book was co compiled by Ms. Koike Ichiko, an advisory board member, with Mr. Hara Keya.

Like the book of the Muji, this book does not directly explain the meaning of MUJI, but focuses on what is interlinked with the MUJI concept collected from books and photographs.

In this process of understanding and learning, product developers will continue to develop products that improve the quality of modern life (and hot sales) based on the history and brand concept of MU J I.

In fact, the "MUJI style" is a very vague concept, but there is a certain framework and a self-evident consensus.

Different times and different people interpret it differently.

Although there are some differences in understanding certain issues, the R & D staff will discuss and make progress together, and strive to keep pace with the times.

To achieve the MUJI formula, we must face the reality.

In other words, we should always pay attention to the sales trend.

R & D personnel should not only think about the philosophical problems related to the MUJI concept, but also need to make market analysis based on data, and combine the sales volume of individual responsible products with marketing strategies, and constantly interpret them.

In addition, we should also observe the dynamics of competitors in our commodity field, and understand the difference between the best seller and our best seller.

Search for key words on the Internet platform and SNS (social networking services), resonate with the living, and strive to understand their needs.

This coincides with the design thinking that will be explored in the next chapter.

To sum up, the R & D personnel should grasp the company's and competitors' commodity types and understand customers' needs in an all-round way, and constantly create inspiration and create MUJI products.

One of the considerations of 2.MUJI developers: relevance and synergy

As mentioned before, "if you persist in thinking about MUJI, you have many opportunities to think from multiple perspectives, and your mind will become more flexible."

The "multi perspective" here refers to the diversity of MUJI commodity composition.

MUJI not only sells clothing, daily necessities and food, but also runs camping huts and coffee shops, and even sells houses.

The research and development of each product is not conceived separately. It needs to be combined with other commodities, considering the relevance between commodities, and paying attention to the synergy effect.

For example, when considering the practicality of a commodity, it is not just from this commodity, but trying to combine this product with other commodities to imagine the different lifestyles brought about by this combination.

MUJI's collection of furniture and storage supplies is a typical combination.

According to the material, MUJI's rack can be made of stainless steel and wood.

Different materials and sizes.

In order to match the size of the rack, MUJI modularized the storage supplies.

According to different uses, people can choose natural materials, stainless steel or polypropylene materials.

In this way, there is synergy between different commodities, and the thinking of "relevance" has become the first meaning of commodity developers.

Two of 3.MUJI developers' Thinking: not limited to usability

Because of the simplicity of MUJI and the wide range of customer needs, different people have different ways of using the same product.

The same commodity, how the child will use it, how the single woman will use it, how the father will use it, and how the old man will use it.

R & D personnel must start from the user's point of view to judge the practicability of this commodity, or to limit users and users, try to broaden their thinking and improve the universality of commodity use.

For example, MUJI has sold a cylindrical glassware called "glass container", which can be used as a water cup, as well as for arranging flowers, and as a pen holder.

In order to make the best use of everything, we must adopt the corresponding sales method.

For example, this glassware is not named "water cup". MUJI named it "glass container", so that its use is decided by the user.

Three of 4.MUJI developers' consideration: respecting tradition

In the stage of product development, R & D personnel will conduct a comprehensive survey of "tradition".

For example, before introducing a product, MUJI will investigate the climate, environment and people's living habits of the origin, and study the impact of these factors on the material and shape of the goods.

The reason why a commodity uses a material and design must have its reasons.

Therefore, we not only simply purchase goods from abroad, but also understand its history, the structure of commodities, and think about how to integrate various elements perfectly with modern life, and how to expand the use of commodities.

MUJI is collecting products that are highly traditional and distinctive from the world, that is, what Found MUJI projects are doing.

In this project, MUJI develops its own R & D capabilities and sells products from all over the world within a time limit.

If the sales volume of a particular product is very impressive, it will be quantified and sold in the stores.

It can be seen that MUJI's product development combines the traditional knowledge of history, habits and customs.

Whether in Japan or abroad, MUJI's research and development personnel will go into the local history and Culture Museum, and try to understand the local people's life and traditions.

Four of 5.MUJI developers' Thinking: Commodity life cycle

The "life cycle" is also a factor for the R & D personnel to consider.

The R & D personnel should not only decide the function and price of the commodity, but also decide the place of sale, the way of display and the promotion plan.

Finally, it is necessary to decide when the goods should be withdrawn from the market.

This is the same as the "product life cycle" in marketing theory. R & D personnel must establish the operational principles of commodity import, growth, maturity and recession.

At MUJI, the R & D team decided the life of the product.

In order to make products sell well, they need to make various decisions, such as how to promote the way to consumers more effective, what kind of name is the most simple and easy to understand, and so on.

This requires not only data analysis but also powerful imagination, planning and execution.

Of course, these things do not need to be fully determined in the R & D stage, and the sales period and the forecast value of the commodities should be updated in time according to the market situation.

Retail business, whether old or new, has a marketing logic that will never change. It is insight into consumer psychology.

The success of MUJI is that it has excavated consumers' demand for no exports.

MUJI's constant challenge and subversion to traditional concepts make it a difficult brand to copy.

More interesting reports, please pay attention to the world clothing shoes and hats net.