Chinese firm Miniso apologises for Japanese branding after outcry

A Chinese retail company has apologised for styling itself as a Japanese store, saying it made "Serious mistakes". Miniso, which sells homeware and electronics, used a logo and branding that appeared similar to that of the Japanese clothing firm Uniqlo. It has been under criticism from Chinese consumers who believed it was not supporting its Chinese roots. In a statement last week it apologised for its global branding strategy, launched in 2015 when it was led by a Japanese designer, which appeared to present the firm as a "Japanese designer brand". The wave of criticism seems to have begun in July, when Miniso's Spanish branch posted photographs on Instagram of Disney Princess toys dressed in Chinese cheongsam, but mislabeled them as Japanese geisha dolls. The company said it had been working to remove Japanese elements from its Chinese stores since 2019. "Miniso is a Chinese company from beginning to end, and it wants to be an upright Chinese brand," the statement said.