Miniso was founded in August 2009 by a Chinese entrepreneur Ye Guofu.[1] Miniso's first store opened in China in 2013.[12] The company claims that Japanese designer Miyake Junya co-founded Miniso,[13] although local media reports in China and Japan have questioned Junya's existence.[14][15][16] Initially claiming to be a famous Japanese brand, despite operating in Mainland China under Chinese company Aiyaya and had no outlets in Japan.[17] Miniso has since expanded outside of China and opened over a thousand stores worldwide.[8]