Chinese retailer Miniso to ditch Japanese styling

The company apologized for the use of the Japanese-style logo and promised to change its corporate identity.

Chinese retailer Miniso has decided to abandon its positioning as a Japanese brand. The company apologized for the use of the Japanese-style logo and promised to change its corporate identity after criticism amid growing geopolitical tensions in the country.

The Guangzhou-based retailer has gained international notoriety as a Japanese brand with appropriate characters on the logo and in store design.
Miniso released an official statement late last week apologizing for the “wrong” positioning and promising to work on new marketing.

“We used wrong brand positioning and marketing campaigns during the early days,” the statement said. “We feel regret and guilt.”

The company said the company’s traditional Japanese design elements will be removed from more than 3,000 retail stores locally. The changes will affect the logo, branded packages and design in stores. Mandarin characters will be used instead of Japanese in the design of the trademarks. The retailer has also promised to control its overseas units.

The retailer has been criticized many times recently on social media by nationalist users. Attitudes toward Miniso have further deteriorated amid recent events in Taiwan and growing anti-Japanese sentiment in the country.