Our Approach to Product Development

Ryohin Keikaku’s Unique Product Development

Product Planning

• Development of apparel, household goods and food,and services essential to daily life
• All items are original products that minimize waste by incorporating the three perspectives of selection of materials, streamlining of processes and simplification of packaging
• Meticulous product planning from the consumer’s point of view
• Product development that makes the most of the qualities of natural materials

Raw Material Procurement

• Production area and material development that leads to resolving local social issues
• Selection of raw materials harvested and cultivated in ways that do not harm the Earth, living things or producers as much as possible
• Proactive use of recycled materials
• Use of primary raw materials traceable to the source as much as possible

Production

• Ensuring production quality based on our own RyohinStandards
• Cooperation with production partners who share our philosophy
• Cooperative system with factories to appropriately manage a wide variety of products
• Establishment of local subsidiaries to handle development and production management

Distribution

• More efficient distribution by establishing consolidated transport functions in major production countries
• Highly efficient distribution warehouse operations based on the operation of distribution centers in Japan and overseas according to product characteristics
• Expanded warehouse functions as bases for recycling and upcycling
• Contribution to reducing environmental impact and social costs through joint delivery with partner companies

Sales/Services

• Stores are community centers that have a positive local impact
• Approximately 1,400 stores in Japan and overseas linked with our online store for in-store pickup of orders
• Lineup of basic items essential for daily life including apparel, household goods, and food, as well as comprehensive lifestyle proposals

Feedback from Communities, Society and Customers

• Collaboration with national and regional governments, as well as educational institutions and medical facilities
• Customer Service Cente
• System for reflecting customer feedback in products (IDEA PARK)
• Town Meeting events held throughout Japan
• 17.5 million active users of the MUJI passport app in Japan

Recovery of Resources

• Collecting various unwanted products from customers at stores as resources
  

  Main products collected for reuse as raw materials:

  Apparel and certain textile products, polypropylene products, polyethylene products, skincare PET bottles, down comforters, paper hangers and hooks

Recycling and Effective Use of Resources

• Apparel is reused, upcycled and resold
• To reduce the use of virgin plastics, we recycle plastic storage items collected in stores into raw materials, and also utilize recycled materials sourced from other companies in new products.
• Monthly subscription-type furniture rental service and sales of used products

All of our stakeholders, including suppliers, customers, local communities, governments and employees, who appreciate MUJI’s approach and product development philosophy, are free to participate in this process and share their opinions and ideas, leading to products with new value.MUJI intends to be a forum for this kind of open innovation. MUJI products are useful in daily life. The more people they reach around the world and the more widely they are used, the more we can promote environmental responsibility and help resolve social issues.In addition, when customers return used MUJI products to the store rather than discarding them, these products can be recycled as raw materials and turned into new products.We will conduct planning and development that thoroughly incorporate this approach to create these kinds of products and services.

Development of environmentally and socially responsible products

In developing products, we select materials with consideration for the environment and producers, eliminate waste in all processes, minimize impact on the environment throughout the product lifecycle, and take into account the effects on biodiversity and human rights, as well as safety.
We provide daily necessities and services with genuine quality and ethical value that enrich local life and society, at appropriate and affordable prices.
To do that, we conduct a lifecycle assessment (LCA) from the product development stage to develop products while considering perspectives such as product quality, functionality and carbon emissions.

Raw material procurement

As we use various materials procured from around the world, we believe that reducing our impact on the natural environment, animal and plant life, and society is both a key challenge and our responsibility.
We define “environmentally responsible materials” as materials that are sourced ethically and with consideration of their impact on the environment, animal welfare, producers and communities.
By consciously selecting such materials, and procuring more of them, we will contribute to the creation of a sustainable society while achieving circularity and coexisting with nature.
We will continue to consider users, producers and nature, and strive to source materials responsibly.

Utilization of Carbon Footprint of Products (CFP)

The Carbon Footprint of Products (CFP) is a measure that quantifies the greenhouse gases emitted through all or part of the product lifecycle, from raw material procurement to manufacturing, disposal and recycling. It is given as a CO2 equivalent.
To improve the raw material procurement and manufacturing processes, we calculate the CFP and utilize that metric for evaluating a product’s impact on the environment.
Currently, we are calculating the CFP of approximately 100 products, mainly plastic items.
For example, our large, dark gray heavy duty recycled polypropylene storage boxes (launched in February 2024), which are made from 75% recycled polypropylene, have a 53% smaller carbon footprint than the previously available product that uses 100% virgin polypropylene.

And in November 2024, we switched the bottles for all nine varieties of unsweetened tea from aluminum to 100% recycled plastic as a result of exploring the best bottle type for reducing environmental impact while also preserving taste.
We calculated the CO₂ emissions of MUJI beverage aluminum cans and 100% recycled PET bottles across their full lifecycle—from raw material procurement to recycling, excluding warehouse storage, sales, and usage. The results showed that 100% recycled PET bottles generate emissions equal to or lower than those of aluminum cans.

Initiatives for development of environmentally and socially responsible products

Recyclable fleece: Designed for recycling and made from a single material

The recyclable fleece series is a product line developed with the concept of “designed for recycling” and reflects our commitment to recycling-oriented product development.
All parts, from the main fabric to the buttons and other accessories and the sewing threads, are made from just one type of raw material, polyethylene terephthalate (PET). This eliminates the need for sorting and separation by material, which had been a hurdle in recycling, and thus enables us to achieve a smooth recycling process after the product is used.

Utilization of unused resources: Booster serum

We developed a fermented rice bran extract as a moisturizing ingredient that makes use of the inherent properties of rice bran, and blended it into essences, toning water and other skincare products.
Rice bran, the nutrient-rich outer layer and germ of unpolished rice, has long been a familiar food ingredient in Japan.
The rice bran that becomes a raw material is defatted rice bran produced in the process of cold-pressing rice bran oil. We are using it as a new resource.
For the MUJI skin care series,¹ we focus on “the power of nature” with 100% natural ingredients.² In addition to natural ingredients such as plant extracts and essential oils, we also use plant-based surfactants.

1. Excluding certain products

2. Includes ingredients derived from natural sources that have been chemically processed

Coffee made with non-standard beans while ensuring traceability

In the original blend coffee series we renewed in 2024, about half is made with beans from the Daterra coffee farm in Brazil, which has been certified by the Rainforest Alliance.*
We select beans that fall outside standard export size specifications, but have the same flavor, to create MUJI’s unique blend.
Half of Daterra’s property is a nature reserve, serving as natural forest, afforestation land and for the preservation of water resources. Through collaboration with Daterra, we ensure the traceability of eco-friendly coffee beans, and make effective use of resources.

* A certification granted to farms that satisfy the comprehensive standards for sustainable agriculture, including protection of forests and ecosystems and the working conditions on farms