Now Open: Shoppers Swarm Muji Midtown

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As the madness of this morning's Muji Midtown opening has cooled a bit—Muji employees with big blue tubs of chronotebook-and-pen-filled gift bags really whip Midtown shoppers into a frenzy—our on-the-scenes reporter has managed to pry herself from the store's product-laden shelves to file a report:

Once the doors opened at 11:50, forty or so people filed in, snatching up their gift bags and marveling at the sight of stacks and stacks of tiny plastic containers in a bunch of different shapes and designs, the purpose of which were completely unclear to absolutely everyone there.

Most of the shoppers there seemed to be European tourists, for whom a $15 dollar mini-New York in a bag was a steal and a $25 t-shirt compressed into an airless cube was just the thing they were looking for. Furniture is available at this Muji, but people didn't seem to be paying much attention to it—a few items were set up around the main entrance on 40th Street, and two parts of a sectional "mold urethane sofa" ($265.25 per person-sized section) were near the register. A few single beds and a desk were set up also, but if you're interested in furniture, one of the salespeople will direct your attention to a catalog of tables ($167-$695), shelves ($111-$237), and beds, which you can mix-and-match headboards and underneath storage boxes. Mattresses could be sold solo, but came complete with the unpleasant warning to "ventilate as needed to avoid the growth of mold." Legs, of course, are optional.

So there you have it. The flagship store is open. If, while browsing the shelves, you find yourself asking, "Do I need a mini-washboard, or a few hundred of those plastic folders?" you don't really get the essence of the place. The answer is: No, not really, but don't you wish you lived a life where you organized ever bit of paper, and were resourceful and energy-efficient enough to scrub your own clothes? Put them in the basket, and proceed to the checkout.
· Muji Midtown: She's Open! [Racked]
· MUJI Midtown: Full Racked Coverage [Racked]

MUJI - Soho

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