Muji struggles follow those of other high street brands including The Body Shop, Ted Baker and Wilko
Muji, the clothing and homeware retailer from Japan, has announced that its European branch is preparing to bring in administrators, in another blow to the UK’s already struggling high street.
A spokesperson for Muji, which has six stores in London and one in Birmingham, said this move as a “planned strategic restructuring of the business” and stated the company is likely to reach an agreement soon. They emphasised that this change will not immediately affect the stores, employees or everyday operations of the store chain.
“For Muji’s colleagues and customers in Europe it is business as usual. All stores and e-commerce will continue to operate as before, and all new and outstanding orders will be fulfilled,” the company affirmed.
Established in Japan in 1980, Muji offers a diverse product range including clothes, stationery, homeware, beauty products and pantry essentials. It’s renown for its focus on simple and functional goods inspired by Japanese design.
Furthermore, it has stores across mainland Europe and the Nordics. The recent news follows a string of high-street retail struggles. In February, The Body Shop revealed it was bringing in administrators which lead to the closure of almost half of its UK stores.
Also earlier this month, the company behind the fashion brand, Ted Baker, appointed administrators, putting hundreds of jobs at risk across its 46 UK outlets. The well-known collapse of the historic chain Wilko last year resulted in the closure of its 400 shops and nearly all of its 12,500 workers losing their jobs.
