UPDATE (Dec 4, 2018): IUIGA responds to Muji’s claims in this article.

It’s no secret that Muji is one of my favourite brands in the world. My entire home is decked out in Muji, my kitchen drawers are filled with everything Muji, and let’s not get into my beauty box and travel accessories — yes, all Muji. So when I receive a press release about a Muji impersonator, yes I’m going to talk about it.

Here’s the full statement from Muji that just came in:

And I know who they’re talking about. It’s IUIGA. IUIGA burst onto the Singapore scene sometime last year, and professed to be a brand that sells products from the same manufacturers as Muji, Samsonite, Zwilling, WMF, and other reputable, quality brands. But I have to say… many, many of their items, are from “Muji”. And they aren’t just proud of this, they are banking on it to sell their products. This is their current home page:

Let’s take a look at some of the items that are identical between the two brands:

I’m not an expert in product design copyrights, so these glass jars could be generic enough for anyone in the world to copy and sell (sorry, Muji!).

I actually have this Muji table lamp at home and it’s great. Do I feel cheated now that IUIGA has the same thing but at 60% cheaper? No. I feel more pissed off that my favourite brand got copied.

Same thing with these glass cups…I LOVE these cups and I have 5 extra on standby in case my mum breaks one (at least 3 have been broken in the past).

Is IUIGA doing anything wrong selling Muji-looking items? Probably. But nothing every knock-off factory in China isn’t already doing. But Muji wants us to know that there are DIFFERENCES when you buy a Muji product — you get quality assurance. And Muji claims that their manufacturers swear they aren’t selling run-offs to anyone else… so if that’s true, then IUIGA is lying; their products don’t come from Muji’s manufacturers.

On the flip side (and unfortunately for Muji), the consumer gets more options and better prices. And I will admit, we have worked with IUIGA on giveaways, and there’s one coming up in our Christmas gift guide (but it’s not a “Muji” product! Whew!)

Now we’ll just sit back and see this investigation play out. Sorry IUIGA, I’m on Muji’s side.

Just for kicks, here are a few more IUIGA products that you might recognise: