What is Miniso as global retail brand opens its first store in Edinburgh

The brand, which originated from China, offers a mix of collectible items, from cuddly plush toys to popular licensed products such as Hello Kitty, Pokemon, Stitch, Barbie, Harry Potter, Disney, and Hot Wheels.

The grand opening took place at 12pm, on Friday, with long queues forming outside the store on Princes Street. To celebrate, the first 400 customers who spent £5 in-store received goody bags worth £25, fueling even more excitement among shoppers. The queues were so impressive that they caught the attention of Edinburgh Travel News, which humorously reported, "The biggest queues of the day – pack snacks if you're heading along."

Saad Usman, Chief Operating Officer at Miniso UK, said: “Scotland has been on our wishlist for a long time – we’ve had so many requests from Scottish fans asking us to bring Miniso here, so we’re thrilled to finally open our doors in Edinburgh.

“As a brand that champions joy and affordability, we can't wait to introduce even more people to the world of Miniso. We can't wait to share our world with our Scottish fans and add a little extra fun to their lives."

Miniso was founded in 2013 by Ye Guofu, a Chinese entrepreneur based in Guangzhou, who later became a billionaire. The company opened its first pilot store in Guangzhou, China, near its factory, in 2013. Miniso quickly expanded, with stores opening in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Malaysia, followed by several locations in Sydney, Australia.

The company was co-founded by Japanese designer Miyake Junya, who met Ye Guofu in 2013 through a friend’s introduction. Initially, Miniso employed a Japanese-influenced branding strategy, despite previously operating under the Chinese company Aiyaya.

Miniso’s first overseas store opened in Singapore in 2015, two years after its debut in Guangzhou. Since then, the company has expanded beyond the Chinese market and now operates 6,868 stores across Asia, Europe, Oceania, Africa, North America, and South America.