Muji is set to close its Canberra store on 16 July, but its shelves will likely be clear before then. Photos: Lizzie Waymouth.
Japanese minimalist retailer Muji is set to leave the Canberra Centre soon, but its shelves have already been mostly cleared as shoppers rush to pick up discounted stock before it closes next month.
The store, known for its ‘no brand, quality goods’ motto, opened in the Canberra Centre in August 2018.
It sells a range of household items, clothing, stationary and even travel goods.
A Muji staff member told Region much of its stock had already been sold in the past few days as news of the closure spread.
“Everything’s disappeared … ever since we made the announcement, everything was just flying out the door,” they said.
The store is due to receive one last delivery of stock this week before closing on 16 July.
There’s already been speculation about what might fill the space, and the Canberra Centre said it is in discussion with a retailer interested in taking it over.
Huge amounts of stock have already been cleared in the days since the announcement was made.
Muji announced its closure last week, posting on Facebook that “it will be a new chapter for MUJI Australia as we close the doors of our Canberra Centre store on 16 July 2023”.
“Importantly, we would like to take this opportunity to thank our staff and the general public as we could not have achieved the success we did without everyone’s support all these years.
“This is not goodbye, this is simply see you later!”
A Muji staff member told Region the store was closing due to its poor performance, but there is a chance it could reopen at a later date.
“From what I know, they were just saying that our store wasn’t really performing as well as the Sydney or Melbourne stores, so they’re hoping maybe in the future they will reopen once they’ve developed a bit more in the other states.”
Canberra Centre general manager Gary Stewart confirmed the closure and said that the Canberra Centre could not disclose the circumstances around the lease for confidentiality reasons.
“Following a period of close and coordinated planning, we can confirm that Muji will be departing Canberra Centre in the coming weeks’ Mr Stewart said.
Rumours have been brewing about which store might take over Muji’s lease, but Mr Stewart said shoppers would have to wait a bit longer to find out.
“We continue to experience strong demand for retail space, and the Centre remains committed to ensuring our retail offer evolves with the demands of the region,” he said.
“We are currently in discussion with a nationally recognised retailer who is interested in securing this retail space.
“We look forward to making some exciting announcements in the near future.”
Original Article published by Lizzie Waymouth on Riotact.
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