\n
Editor\u2019s Note: As 2024 comes to an end, we\u2019re highlighting some of our most-read content of the year. We look forward to continuing to deliver original, thought-provoking stories like this one to our readers in 2025.<\/em><\/p>\nA Chinese retail brand investing heavily in U.S. expansion\u2026sounds like we might be talking about Shein<\/strong> or Temu<\/strong>, but no. There\u2019s another one, and unlike its digital compatriots it\u2019s focused firmly on brick-and-mortar: Miniso<\/strong>. This Chinese-based \u201cvariety\u201d retailer is embarking on a rapid expansion across the U.S., and gaining droves of Gen Z and millennial fans along the way.<\/p>\n\n
Miniso staff shirts showcase the retailer\u2019s current reach across the U.S. (Photo: Retail TouchPoints)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\nThe brand just opened its second location in New York City\u2019s Times Square and now boasts more than 120<\/strong> stores across 27 <\/strong>states \u2014 \u00a010 <\/strong>states of which were new additions in 2023. And while the NYSE-listed retailer has focused primarily on coastal locations until now, this year\u2019s expansion plans include a move inland with first stores opening in Ohio, Tennessee, Colorado and Utah, as well as new additions in existing states. In fact, Chang Chen, the company\u2019s PR Director said he expects the U.S. to eventually become one of Miniso\u2019s biggest markets<\/strong>, perhaps even bigger than China \u2014 which is saying something given that of the brand\u2019s network of 6,630<\/strong> global stores, more than 4,000<\/strong> of them are in China.<\/p>\n\n
Fans line up for the opening of the Miniso store at American Dream. (Photo: Retail TouchPoints)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\nIf the reception to the brand\u2019s newest U.S. store \u2014 which opened at American Dream on May 3 \u2014 is any indication, Miniso will find eager customers waiting as it spreads across the country. Shoppers lined up at the New Jersey mall to be among the first to get their hands on the company\u2019s latest offerings<\/strong>, which run the gamut from blind boxes, toys, stationery and stuffed animals to bathroom staples, baby products and sunglasses.<\/p>\nYes, this new store represents yet another Chinese super brand with its sights set on America, but it also marks a pivot of sorts for Miniso in how it plans to achieve those ambitions. As Chang explained in an interview with Retail TouchPoints<\/em>, while the company already has found success with its value-priced assortment of cute, character-emblazoned products, Miniso has hit on a new strategy to further differentiate itself \u2014 IP<\/strong>. Recognizable brands like Sanrio, Barbie, Care Bears and Peanuts \u201coffer a deeper emotional connection\u201d with consumers, said Chang, which is why, with its new American Dream store, Miniso is looking to establish itself as the \u201cIP collection brand.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\nTapping into \u2018Interest-Based Consumption\u2019<\/strong><\/h2>\nChang refers to the company\u2019s new strategy as \u201cinterest-based consumption,\u201d where popular brands and characters become a vehicle to create an emotional connection with shoppers.<\/strong> \u201cWe\u2019re going to align everything to fun,\u201d he said.<\/p>\nThe fun is evident at the 4,000-square-foot<\/strong> American Dream store, which like Miniso\u2019s other locations is emblazoned in pink, from the walls to the ceiling. Different from previous iterations though is a banner that runs along the back wall, showcasing the biggest brands customers will find within.<\/p>\n\n
One of two Sanrio feature walls at Miniso American Dream. (Photo: Retail TouchPoints)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\nInterestingly, the store itself isn\u2019t merchandised by brand but rather by product category. The only exception is two Sanrio<\/strong>-themed feature walls, one focused on Hello Kitty and My Melody (both of which fit nicely into the brand\u2019s pink and red color scheme) and the second highlighting Kuromi. Kuromi also features front and center atop a dedicated Sanrio blind box display at the front of the store.<\/p>\nThe special treatment for Sanrio makes sense given that the Japanese brand helped co-design the store<\/strong>, according to a press release from American Dream (although Sanrio\u2019s presence in the store is much more muted than initial renderings first indicated). This isn\u2019t the first time Sanrio and Miniso have teamed up: In October 2023, the partners opened a Sanrio flagship in Indonesia, marking Miniso\u2019s first store dedicated to a specific IP.<\/p>\nOutside of the strong Sanrio presence, many other brands are on display throughout the jam-packed store, with Barbie<\/strong>, Care Bears<\/strong> and Peanuts<\/strong> in particular making regular appearances.<\/p>\n\u201cThe new flagship reflects Miniso\u2019s latest ambitious exploration of IP collaborations in the U.S. market, aiming to further accelerate its rapid expansion within North America on the back of strong growth in 2023,\u201d reads a press release from American Dream.<\/p>\n
But that\u2019s not to say that everything in the store is co-branded. Ample space at the front is given to Miniso\u2019s own line of adult sunglasses and scent diffusers, and products such as organizers, wipes and Q-tips are peppered throughout with no character attached.<\/p>\n
Delivering Joy Through Design<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n
A massive screen covers the ceiling in the center of the store with a banner of the top brands represented displayed on the back wall. (Photo: Retail TouchPoints)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\nDespite this new focus on IP, Chang said everything still goes back to Miniso\u2019s slogan, \u201cLife is for Fun,\u201d and there\u2019s no denying that the store is fun. With its bright, playful atmosphere and friendly associates, there\u2019s no way a visit to the store won\u2019t make you smile.<\/p>\n
A massive ceiling screen hovers over the center of the store, occasionally bathing shoppers in red and pink light, creating a party-like atmosphere. And even though the brand doesn\u2019t want price point to be its signature draw, the prices are still low enough to leave any shopper feeling like they got a deal.<\/p>\n
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A PenPen Inflatable from Miniso\u2019s Mini Family Collection welcomed people in the American Dream atrium. (Image courtesy Miniso)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\nAdding to the joy at American Dream, at least for the first week of the store\u2019s opening, was a 16-foot-tall<\/strong> PenPen character from Miniso\u2019s in-house brand Mini Family, which took up residence in a central atrium near the new store. He was accompanied by a ball pit and ample photo opportunities for shoppers to enjoy and snap selfies with.<\/p>\n\u201cThis creative, towering installation not only celebrates Miniso\u2019s store opening but also enriches the shopping experience with fun interactive elements, exemplifying Miniso\u2019s commitment to delivering joy to consumers and rapid growth in the United States,\u201d described the company in a statement.<\/p>\n
Creating Emotional Connections with Consumers Through IP<\/strong><\/h2>\nThis isn\u2019t the first time Miniso has tweaked its U.S. growth strategy. For years, the brand\u2019s primary selling point was its prices. In fact, when it launched its expansive 7,974-square-foot<\/strong>\u00a0flagship in New York\u2019s SoHo in February 2022, that store was focused on a \u201c$10<\/strong> N\u2019 Under\u201d model.<\/p>\nThe ability to pivot strategy and assortment so quickly is thanks to the fact that Miniso controls its entire supply chain<\/strong>, Robin Liu, Miniso\u2019s CMO and Head of Ecommerce shared with Retail TouchPoints<\/em> in 2022. It\u2019s a model very similar to the one that has enabled digital fashion retailer Shein <\/strong>to make such explosive gains in the U.S., and allows Miniso to respond quickly to trends and consumer demand. As Liu explained it, Miniso operates on a \u201c7-1-1<\/strong> philosophy,\u201d wherein every seven<\/strong> days Miniso launches approximately\u00a0100<\/strong>\u00a0new SKUs selected from a library of more than\u00a010,000<\/strong>\u00a0product ideas.<\/p>\nLately, Miniso has noticed \u201cthe substantial interest and popularity\u201d of co-branded collections, according to a brand statement, hence the new focus on products of that order. Following a global brand update in 2023, the company has been \u201cstrategically pursuing IP collaborations worldwide.\u201d Miniso now <\/strong>has partnerships with more than 100<\/strong> brands, and IP product sales contributed 40%<\/strong> of the company\u2019s global revenues in 2023. Additionally, Miniso attributed its particularly strong growth in North America (128%<\/strong> increase in revenue annually in 2023) to IP-related sales.<\/p>\nThe American Dream store marks the further realization of these efforts. \u201cOur vision is to become the world\u2019s leading IP design retail group, and North America is pivotal in achieving this goal<\/strong>,\u201d said Bella Tu, General Manager of Miniso Overseas Directly Operated Markets in a statement. \u201cThe American Dream store is a key part of our strategy to enhance our global footprint and bring unique, joy-filled shopping experiences to more consumers.\u201d<\/p>\nA second<\/strong>, larger IP-focused store will open in LA on the Santa Monica Promenade in the second half of this year, Miniso executives shared with Retail TouchPoints<\/em>. And that will just be a drop in the bucket, with the company targeting the addition of 900 to 1,100<\/strong> new stores globally this year.<\/p>\nIn more populated locales like New York City, some of those stores might even be neighbors, like the brand\u2019s two<\/strong> current stores in Times Square. Chang hinted that even more stores might be coming to that neighborhood in the future, likening the company\u2019s placement strategy to that of 7-Eleven<\/strong>: \u201cWe\u2019ve found that even if two stores are around the corner from each other, just one block away, they don\u2019t really impact each other.\u201d<\/p>\nIt\u2019s an attitude of access and visibility versus one of scarcity and FOMO, and it\u2019s worked well for the company in other markets. It\u2019s also even more essential right now as the brand has currently paused all online sales in the U.S.<\/strong>, although that will likely not be permanent. Miniso did have an online store in the U.S. but that site is currently unavailable as the company focuses on its offline store experience, a spokesperson for the company said. A return to ecommerce is likely in the cards for the future though, the spokesperson added.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
Editor\u2019s Note: As 2024 comes to an end, we\u2019re highlighting some of our most-read content of the year. We look forward to continuing to deliver […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":14477,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14476","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-podcasts"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dmsretail.com\/RetailNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14476","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dmsretail.com\/RetailNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dmsretail.com\/RetailNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dmsretail.com\/RetailNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dmsretail.com\/RetailNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14476"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dmsretail.com\/RetailNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14476\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dmsretail.com\/RetailNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14477"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dmsretail.com\/RetailNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14476"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dmsretail.com\/RetailNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14476"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dmsretail.com\/RetailNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14476"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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