After several bestselling books and an acclaimed Netflix series, Marie Kondo has firmly cemented her status as the queen of clean. Her KonMari tidying principles, which center around the belief that whatever doesn’t ‘spark joy’ must go, have sparked a global obsession with decluttering.
Now Marie has launched an online homewear store selling over 100 household items including ceramic chopsticks and a flower bouquet tote bag. “The goal of tidying is to make room for meaningful objects, people and experiences. I can think of no greater happiness in life than being surrounded only by the things I love,” she stated at the site’s launch.
The website, Konmari.com, ranges from tidying and organisation to decor and living. Shoppers can also buy books, bath products and aromatherapy.
This comes shortly after Japanese e-commerce site Rakuten announced a retail partnership with Marie.
However, the decision to launch a homewear store has prompted backlash with people questioning why Marie is encouraging people to buy more whilst simultaneously preaching the benefits of decluttering.
“Honestly, if #mariekondo’s store sold stuff that helps me declutter and organize – such as space saving furnitures, storage boxes, or organizers, I’d be all over it. But who the heck wants to buy a $55 food tray???” exclaimed a twitter user. Another said: “She made a fortune and a reputation showing people how to get rid of stuff ….. now she has a high price online store selling stuff back to people!”
Marie assured she is not trying to encourage consumerism, but is simply responding to reader questions about what products she likes to use. She also stressed the importance of buying meaningful products that won’t quickly need to be replaced.
While backlash was certainly inevitable, we’re so here Marie’s minimalist approach of buying less but better quality.
