MUJI, the Japanese retail company specialising in household and consumer goods, has refurbished its Angel Central store. The improved 2,624sq ft space allows MUJI to bring its sustainability focus to the forefront of its Angel Central offer by championing ‘recycle and repurpose’ initiatives.  The revamped store is the first of its kind for the brand in the UK.

MUJI Islington is a residential store aiming to be rooted in the local community and contribute to society by making ESG approachable and accessible in everyday life. MUJI has focused on connecting with the community by introducing local initiatives which will evolve throughout the year, for example on launch, the window displays were supporting the local primary school by donating the profits from the sales of printed bags designed by students to help raise funds for various Art projects.

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MUJI partnered with a small local plant store, ‘The Archway Planter’ to provide an easy-care and affordable selection of plants. They have incorporated greenery into the store and hanging display features to help improve the store environment. The space is free of charge and suppliers will keep 100% of their sales. MUJI aims to continue with the Community Market initiative to help local suppliers, small businesses and charities going forward.

When refurbishing the Islington store, sustainability was at the heart of the design. The store’s feature wall is made using repurposed wood, the ceiling joists come from a demolished building in Northwest London. Most of the signage and fixtures have been made from recycled materials or reused from other projects to help reduce waste.

After working with MUJI for 16 years, it was so exciting to be part of their first green store in Islington, creating signage and displays out of recyclable materials. They’re an incredible brand to partner with who are working on connecting with the community and finding more sustainable alternatives for their stores, which is just fantastic. Simon Olley, Director, Stylo

Instore initiatives include Re-MUJI, allowing customers to purchase upcycled MUJI clothes from their customer garment collecting initiative. Garments are hand-dyed in the UK by a local dyer, using 100% natural plant and vegetable dyes.

As well as unwanted garment collections, customers are also encouraged to bring in their skincare empties and any damaged plastic items for us to recycle. The collected waste is recycled into new useful products.

 

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David Brice, managing director at MUJI UK, said: “Our store at Angel Central is incredibly important to us. We trade so well here, and it’s a destination that supports its local community, so we knew our Angel Central store would be the perfect place to begin rolling out this refurbishment. We have a great relationship with the Islington community, and CBRE IM has worked collaboratively with us to support our re-fit and community market plans. We’re excited to see this store continue to thrive and make sustainable choices more accessible for consumers.”

Ciara Daffy, asset manager at CBRE Investment Management, also said: “MUJI has been a much-loved offer within Angel Central for years, and it’s testament to their performance here that they decided to invest in a new design concept. Angel Central has a strong approach towards sustainability initiatives, and the team works closely with local charities, so MUJI’s plans align perfectly with our overarching ethos. The store redesign will elevate our offer further and the community market was yet another successful event here designed to support local people and businesses.”


Images: MUJI
Store opened August 2022