Miniso aims to have 60 stores in Chile by 2027

The Chinese brand has operated in Chile since 2019, but accelerated growth in 2023, now with 48 locations. The Chilean market boasts the highest sales per square meter in Latin America, and the Cenco Costanera store ranks among the top 10 highest-grossing stores worldwide, excluding China.

The Miniso brand has been gaining popularity among young people in recent years. It is a Chinese company, inspired by Japanese stores, founded in 2013 by Jack Ye. In 2019, it arrived in Chile through the Miniso Hub franchise, which also manages the brand in Mexico, Colombia, Peru, Argentina, Spain, and Portugal.

Chilean José Carlo Navarra took over leadership of operations in Chile after spending nearly 30 years abroad. At the time, he was working in Miniso’s business expansion division in Mexico. Navarra reports that they now have 48 stores across the country. About 40% of the stores are concentrated in the central region of the country (Metropolitan Region, Valparaíso, and O’Higgins), and more than half are in the remaining regions.

Miniso is a retail chain that sells a wide range of products, from stuffed animals to headphones. Its primary target audience is women aged 16 to 30. Its best-selling items are in the beauty, toys and home categories.

According to the company’s country manager, Miniso’s flagship store is located at Cenco Costanera. It is among the top 10 locations worldwide (outside China) by sales, across the more than 100 countries where the brand operates. In Latin America, it is the top-selling store.

This performance reflects Miniso’s strong sales performance in the country, which has the highest sales per square meter. However, it is not the franchise’s top revenue generator, as other countries like Mexico and Colombia have far more stores—230 and 100, respectively. Chile accounts for 15% of sales in Latin America.

Miniso’s Plans

“2025 was a very good year for Miniso Chile. First, we reached 46 stores; we opened 11 stores in a year, 9 in the second half alone, which led to double-digit growth over the previous year. It was a good year in terms of expansion, growth and development. Twenty-two million customers visited us,” said José Carlo Navarra.

In 2026, they have already opened two stores, and projections indicate that “it will be a rather interesting year. Growth will be slow but steady. It will not be as strong as we might have expected. We see 2026 as a year of significant financial consolidation. We will continue to expand our business and hope to reach 53 stores this year. We will continue to pay close attention to the operational efficiency of the stores and the distribution center,” explained Navarra.

Miniso has established three lines of work for this year. “The first is to continue growing in terms of expansion and the number of stores. The idea is to reach as many cities as possible,” said Navarra. In the longer term, the company aims to reach at least 60 stores, which it expects to achieve by 2027.

“The second focus area is the division between Miniso Basics and licensed products. We will continue working with licenses so that our products are not just impulse buys but a destination for shoppers seeking this type of product,” explained Miniso’s country manager.

The third area of focus “is the strongest because it is a global initiative already underway in Asia and Mexico. It is the store upgrade (...) a store transformation that makes the experience even better and creates an emotional connection that makes customers want to spend time here—whether taking a stroll or taking a break—not necessarily just for a transaction.” Plans include upgrading their flagship store at the Cenco Costanera.
With all this, they expect to close out 2026 with double-digit growth once again.

At Miniso, they believe the conditions are in place to meet these ambitions, even given the economic and geopolitical context. “Miniso has a product that is quite affordable, and we offer a wide range of products. If the country faces a difficult economic situation, it could slow our growth, but the reality is that our product and brand have performed well across various scenarios. We have stores in Israel, and they are operating despite the current geopolitical situation, because our products are of very high quality and we have carefully managed prices. I do not think we will stop growing,” he projected.

Although Miniso’s products are imported, the company maintains that “customers won’t be affected by price increases, despite rises in costs such as transportation, because we’ll try to absorb them,” he stated.

Source: La Tercera.