Cult Chinese retailer Miniso is currently embarking on an ambitious brick-and-mortar expansion in the UK.
The retailer, which has over 5,800 stores in more than 100 countries, may have gone under the radar so far in the UK as it quietly opened more than 20 stores, however, its latest opening on Oxford Street should bring more attention.
The lifestyle retailer, which takes inspiration from east Asian culture with Hello Kitty’s aplenty in its stores, is not stopping there. In fact, two new UK stores will open before Christmas.
Retail Gazette sits down with chief operating officer Saad Usman to talk about Miniso’s UK plans.
Landing on Oxford Street
The Oxford Street opening is a “really significant milestone for us,” says Usman, who desribes the location as “iconic”.
It is also the retailer’s largest store in the UK to date and carries around five times the amount of product it has in its other shops.
“You will see a wider collection of our entire product range,” he says, such as the brand’s TikTok-famous blind boxes as well as new larger sizes of its popular plush toys.
Miniso has earned itself a loyal following who embrace its unique product collection.
Its London store openings have been met with shoppers queuing around the block on opening day.
“We have a slightly different product mix [to other retailers], a slightly different price point and partnerships,” he says, highlighting the brand’s IP partnerships with Hello Kitty, Disney and in the past, Marvel.
The store also stocks kitchen accessories, homewares, electronics, snacks and drinks, as well as the brand’s newly launched makeup and fragrances collection.
The Oxford Street shop is also a new concept for the brand so is “different in design, look and feel” from Miniso’s other outlets, he explains.
The most notable differences are the store’s pink interior and the nods to the London Underground at the front, including pink faux handrails and an ‘Oxford Street’ tube banner.
The opening of the retailer’s largest UK store comes six weeks after it unveiled its smallest concept format in London’s Chinatown.
The 40 sq m outlet, dubbed the Mini Miniso, sells a curated edit of the brand’s best sellers.
Going from one extreme to the other is no coincidence, explains Usman.
“We wanted to demonstrate that we can fit into different models and different formats.
“You can have the big ones which have pretty much your entire range and at the same time, you can go into the smallest locations which will have a more curated collection.”
Miniso’s high street expansion
Miniso is clearly expanding at the rate of knots, however Usman is reluctant to put a target on its store ambitions – although he does let slip that it has signed leases for two new stores in the first quarter of 2024 and is in discussions with landlords about several other locations.
“Putting a number on it is difficult but we will be ambitious,” he says.”We try to push for as many high-quality stores in the right location and we’ll continue to do that.”
Most of Miniso’s 23 UK stores are located within shopping centres, however, the retailer’s next stage of expansion will see it target the high street with a mix of larger stores and its new format.
“The high street is not dead – you just need to offer what the customer wants,” says Usman.
He is not ignoring ecommerce either.
“Up until now our focus in the UK has been on having a wide footprint of bricks-and-mortar stores across the country.”
“From next year we will begin to look at our online offering, so customers have several different options to explore and purchase our diverse range of products.”
The business is already making changes to its ecommerce platform, Usman explains, including improving its website and expanding its online range.
The business has yet to introduce click-and-collect but plans to add the service are already in the works, he adds.
Growing its range
Physical expansion is not the only form of expansion that Miniso is working on. The global brand is also looking at building out its product ranges, including finally rolling out its 124-piece beauty and self-care collection in the UK.
“The makeup and beauty range has been a huge success all around the world,” says Usman.
“It just takes a little bit of time, certain red tape that you have to work through in the UK.”
“We’re going to start launching – and have launched a little already in some of the stores – our main full range of cosmetics. That’s your makeup, beauty and self-care.”
The makeup collection is “not just high quality, but it’s also really affordable” with 95% of the products priced under £15, Usman points out.
Miniso has also been working on its social media strategy to help build brand awareness in the UK, says Usman.
The retailer has partnered with more UK-based social media influencers, with a focus on niche digital curators to increase its reach.
The shift has seen the brand’s online profiles flooded with regular content, showcasing product ranges and drumming up excitement for new stores.
It looks like Usman has got all bases covered as Miniso goes full throttle in its UK expansion.
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