Decluttering guru Marie Kondo gets flak for selling 'clutter' online
Japanese tidying expert Marie Kondo probably aimed to "spark joy" with the launch of her online lifestyle store, but sheโs sparked anger and amusement too.
That's because the star of Netflix's Tidying Up with Marie Kondo, who has made a career out of encouraging people to declutter their homes, is now effectively selling, well, clutter.
This irony was not lost on social media users. Here's what some of them had to say about it:
Would you believe it? Marie Kondo, the lady who insisted we get rid of most of our stuff, now has an online shop where we can buy more STUFF!
— Deb-or-ah (@debsdustbunny) November 18, 2019
How did people not see Marie Kondo's scam. She gets you to throw things away so that she then can sell you new things.
— Imam Tjoerang (@Grondwerk) November 19, 2019
How to play the long game in business, the Marie Kondo lesson: get rid of all your useless crap so you can BUY my useless & expensive crap, like a $86 candle. Yes, #mariekondo has her own online shop now full of trinkets and the irony is not lost on anyone. pic.twitter.com/TfxVRmfneT
— Adriana Tica (@adriana_tica) November 19, 2019
- @MarieKondo :
— MikaDiMike ๐ฎ ๐พ ๐ง๐ช ๐ฌ ๐ฒ๐ซ (@MikaDiMike) November 20, 2019
๐ผ Throw Out Everything That Doesn't Make You Happy ๐ต๐ถ
- Also #MarieKondo :
Buy My Serving Plate ($ 200,00)
Buy My Drinking Glass ($ 14,00)
Buy My Dinner Plate ($ 68,00)
Buy My Laddle ($ 96,00) pic.twitter.com/AoqSVeG3vh
The store, which is hosted on Kondo's KonMari website, sells a variety of lifestyle products ranging from scented candles and towels to tote bags and tuning forks. Prices range from $8 (about R118) to $275 (around R4k).
As if anticipating some backlash around her shop's opening, Kondo told the Wall Street Journal that she isnโt trying to promote consumerism, claiming the idea for the store came from people who asked her what items she liked to have around the house.
โThis online shop is a collection of my favourite things and items that spark joy. The goal of tidying is to make room for meaningful objects, people and experiences. I hope my vision of a joyful life inspires yours,โ she explained on Instagram.
โข Additional reporting by staff reporter