Marie Kondo opens online store but high prices do not 'spark joy'

Decluttering queen Marie Kondo's latest announcement that she's opening an online store has riled fans worldwide and sparked anything but joy.

The household name who rose to international fame with her KonMari method that's been used to tidy homes across the globe, launched her web store on Monday (Nov 18).

Said to contain "a collection of [her] favourite things and items that spark joy", on sale are an assortment of lifestyle products, including a pair of leather room shoes costing US$206 (S$280), a flower bouquet tote bag that's US$42 and a US$96 ladle.

The most expensive item found is a US$275 brass kitchen utensil holder while the cheapest is a ceramic chopstick that's US$8.

The bestselling author and star of hit Netflix show Tidying Up With Marie Kondo gained fame for promoting the idea of cleaning out homes of unnecessary items. Now, disappointed fans are saying that this latest move is ironic because she's selling "expensive clutter".

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"Marie Kondo, who told you to throw away everything you own, apparently wants you to repopulate your now empty life with vaguely minimalist-looking junk that you, of course, buy from her," one Twitter user wrote.

An announcement on Facebook posted hours ago has also elicited mostly negative comments, many of which call Kondo a sell-out and complaining about the items being overpriced.

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One user lamented: "I feel this does not equate to your philosophy and causes you to just become another salesperson hawking the latest and greatest fad. I will say some items are reasonable, but most items are so expensive and overpriced."

Another fan wrote: "I love what you do, but unfortunately your products are incredibly expensive. They would not spark joy for my bank account."

The store, which only ships to the US for now, was launched weeks after Japan's biggest e-commerce site, Rakuten, announced a partnership with Kondo.

In a message posted on her website, Kondo announced that her tidying method is not about getting rid of things — it's about heightening one's sensitivity of what brings you joy.

"Once you've completed your tidying, there is room to welcome meaningful objects, people and experiences into your life,'' the post states.

In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Kondo said she was not trying to promote consumerism, claiming the idea for the store's conception came from people who asked her what items she liked to have around the house.

"If the bowl that you're using currently sparks joy for you, I don't encourage replacing it at all," she said.

joeylee@asiaone.com