With 3 levels and a bakery, MUJI’s first flagship branch is the Philippines’ largest yet
MANILA, Philippines — MUJI Philippines has expanded in more ways than one, and its first flagship branch is its biggest and most ambitious move yet.
As the eighth store in the Philippines, MUJI Glorietta opened on Thursday, April 24, taking over a massive 2,600-square-meter space across three levels of Glorietta 3. Fun fact: it’s the first branch equipped with escalators and an elevator.
The MUJI shopping experience is different here — natural light floods the first-level space from the ceiling-to-floor windows, softened by interiors that blend MUJI’s trademark minimalism with Philippine reclaimed wood accents.
More than 2,500 products are spread across the store — many of them not available in other local branches — making it an exciting space for MUJI loyalists and curious newcomers.
Here, a lot of MUJI Philippines firsts and exclusives can be expected.
Taste of Japan
One of the biggest firsts for MUJI Glorietta is its in-house bakery — a nod to MUJI Japan’s cafes. The bakery offers a range of freshly baked breads, from croissants, red bean buns, and ensaymadas, to pandesal for both Japanese and Filipino palates.
Close by, the expanded Coffee Counter — now the largest among local branches — serves MUJI’s curry rice meals, soft-serve ice cream, coffee, tea, and a special choco tablea drink series using local cacao.
The coffee beans here are sourced from Batangas farms run by a Japanese owner. MUJI’s love for craftsmanship is also hinged on its commitment to local communities and sustainable practices.
The counter is located beside a spacious communal dining area, with bar seats by the windows and equipped with charging sockets — perfect for working over coffee.
Other firsts: an exhibit, stamp service, and more
MUJI also debuted its first-ever “What is MUJI?” exhibit in the Philippines, a minimalist display that takes guests through the brand’s 40-year journey, from its modest beginnings, with only 40 products in Tokyo’s Aoyama district in 1980, to today’s global network of over 1,000 stores and 7,000 products.
MUJI, short for Mujirushi Ryohin (“no-brand quality goods”), shows its philosophy of simplicity, functionality, and minimalism in its products.
MUJI Glorietta is also home to thoughtful services, like the embroidery service, where customers can personalize their MUJI clothing, bags, or towels with over 200 embroidery designs. Prices vary depending on the size of the patch.
There’s also a free in-house alteration service for shortening items like denim and chino pants, as well as an interactive stamp table for customizing notebooks and stationery.
MUJI Glorietta’s service counter handles all customer concerns — from home delivery and clothing alterations to bulk orders and consultation services — and the multiple cash registers per level help to reduce long waiting lines.
‘Leveling’ up
The store’s wide and spacious layout feels like a leisurely stroll through a carefully curated home.
At the ground floor, food, kitchenware, glasses, cutlery, ceramics, plates, and more take the spotlight here, alongside an array of potted green plants.
The second floor is all about clothing and travel essentials: menswear, children’s wear (a first for the brand, too), womenswear, delicates, socks, shoes, a new Linen collection, Cool Touch summer wear, travel kits, hats, bags, and the brand’s reliable luggage in different sizes.
The third floor is the homebody’s playground, everything from skincare, aromatherapy, bathroom essentials, and laundry goods to furniture, storage solutions, bedding, linens, and the stamp table.
Furniture, bed frames, rugs, shelves, pillows, blankets, and MUJI’s famous office supplies (pens, highlighters, markers, notebooks, and more) can be found on this level, too.
And because this is a flagship, MUJI will host community-centered workshops here throughout the year — from coffee appreciation classes to aroma blending sessions.
Located in Glorietta 3 (Level 1, 2, 3), MUJI is open Mondays to Thursdays, 10 am to 9 pm, and Fridays to Sundays, 10 am to 10 pm. – Rappler.com