This is a familiar story that is, of course, not unique to Japan:

“Danchi”, or apartment blocks built by Japan’s housing agency during the country’s high-growth period, may look grim and outdated in today’s Tokyo, where flashy glass and steel towers reign.

However, I only just learned that, since 2013, the Japanese houseware brand Muji has been renovating apartments within these housing blocks in an attempt to reduce vacancies:

But danchi are becoming hip again, thanks to modern renovations by lifestyle brand Muji, which is turning the poky, multi-room flats into open-plan studios.

The above excerpts are from a 2015 article, but this partnership between Muji and Japan's Urban Renaissance (UR) Agency continues to this day. Today, they're also focused on creating a greater sense of community within these danchi neighborhoods.

It's a logical collaboration. Both want to bring good and affordable design to the masses. And obviously there are brand benefits for Muji. It's a way to expose more people to their products.

But what I find particularly interesting is that it, once again, shows the potential of a strong brand within the real estate industry.

According to the same 2015 article, as soon as Muji completed its first round of apartment renovations, UR saw 2x the number rental applications from people in their 20s and 30s. Perhaps the number is even higher today.

Clearly what happened is that you had young followers of the brand who said to themselves, "oh if Muji is involved, it must then be cool and nice, and so I'd like to live there."

I mention this because, as a gross generalization, real estate companies don't seem to focus on their own brands in the same way other companies do. (Again, I'm making a gross generalization.)

Instead, they often rely on 3rd party brands -- hotel brands, fashion brands, and whatever else -- to augment as needed. (See "Dubai is now the capital of branded residences.")

Maybe this is truly the optimal way to do it. Just partner as needed. Or maybe more real estate companies should invest in their own brand.

Photo by taro ohtani on Unsplash

I did something this week that I don't often do: I shopped for (non-grocery) things in person. Like, in a physical store. So I recognize that this isn’t entirely bleeding edge. Still, I am thoroughly impressed by the self-checkout process at Uniqlo.

All of their items now include RFID tags, which means you don’t need to scan anything. You just place your basket or items down, and then everything shows up automatically on the screen. Done. The most frictionless checkout that I have ever experienced.

My understanding is that this was done more for supply chain management and that it is now possible because the cost of these tags have come down to something like a few cents per unit; but the added benefit is that they have greatly improved checkout throughput and the overall experience.

This has been a part of the promise of RFID tags for many years. And this week I experienced it IRL for the first time. It was awesome. Now I hope this same experience comes to grocery stores in the near future.

Swiss supermarket chain, Migros, has just launched what is being called the first store in Switzerland to not have any employees. The concept, called the Voi Cube, is a small container-like outparcel space that is open 24/7 and offers about 500 or so everyday items. You enter using their app, you grab what you need, and then you check yourself out. (Presumably the doors don't open back up until you've paid.)

The concept is being positioned as a convenience add-on to its existing grocery store business. Swiss federal labor laws still prohibit retail staff from working on Sundays, and so this is a clever way for people to shop for essentials during that time. They just got rid of the labor component. It also begins to show just how flexible and adaptable grocery stores can be as the retail landscape continues to evolve.