Central Khon Kaen is partnering with Japanese lifestyle brand Muji to open its first branch in the Northeast.
The store is the 36th Muji branch in Thailand, located on the G floor of Central Khon Kaen mall and spanning an area of more than 1,700 square metres.
Nattakit Tangpoonsinthana, chief marketing officer for Central Pattana (CPN), said Muji's mission is to become a community hub in each area it serves, aligning with CPN's approach to develop spaces to be more than just real estate. Central Khon Kaen was developed with the concept of being a "Centre of Life" for people.
The decor of Muji at Central Khon Kaen maintains the simplicity concept, he said.
The store offers a comprehensive range of products designed to cater to every lifestyle, with over 5,000 items to choose from. These include clothing for men, women and children; a home goods and furniture section that meets all minimalist needs; and a snack and food section.
The highlight of Muji Central Khon Kaen is the best-selling items section, which features popular items preferred by customers worldwide, said Mr Nattakit.
A new zone is dubbed "Muji Community Market", providing space for local community shops to sell unique and exclusive items that cannot be found elsewhere, all free of charge.
Mr Nattakit said Khon Kaen is the second-largest economy in the Northeast, with a gross provincial product (GPP) of 213 billion baht, while the GPP per capita is 492,000 baht per year, based on a population of 432,783.
Akihiro Kamogari, managing director of Muji Retail (Thailand) Co, said the company has been operating in Thailand for 18 years, and has been expanding into major provincial areas since 2021.
"This year, Muji is committed to continuing its strategy of being a part of Thais' daily lives by accelerating branch expansion across all regions. We aim to become a leading lifestyle brand beloved by Thais," he said.
Mr Kamogari said Khon Kaen is a high-potential province as a large city in the Northeast with unique cultural characteristics and a large population.
"Muji aims to make this regional expansion a significant step in increasing brand and product awareness among Thais. We plan to open a branch in Udon Thani soon and renovate some existing branches into larger spaces to accommodate more products and new services from Japan," he said.
