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Tidying up guru Marie Kondo is sparking some joy with exclusives for The Container Store to sell

The best-selling author and star of a Netflix show about organization is creating about 100 products that will be sold exclusively at The Container Store.

The Container Store, the original storage and organization retailer, just scored a partnership with tidying up expert Marie Kondo.

The Coppell-based retailer and KonMari Media, the company founded by Kondo, are co-branding more than 100 sustainably sourced products designed and inspired by Kondo’s methods for creating a tidy and joyful home.

The announcement came as The Container Store reported its best second quarter in the company’s history as consumers visited its stores to find ways to make their spaces more livable as they adjusted to the pandemic-inspired stay-at-home lifestyle. Container Store shares were trending higher after gaining 89 cents, or 9.7%, to close at $10.05 on Tuesday.

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The “Container Store x KonMari” branded products will be available exclusively in stores and online in January. The items will be made with bamboo, ceramic, recycled fiberboard and wood certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. The line is expected to appeal to consumers “seeking simple solutions with an elevated aesthetic to maximize space in their homes,” the companies said in a statement.

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When Kondo’s show, “Tidying Up,” premiered in 2019, “we knew there was an opportunity to create something special with Marie,” said Melissa Reiff, CEO of The Container Store.

The retailer posted a sales increase of 5.3% in the three months ended in September, and that included a 16.8% increase in September alone. Online sales were up 86.4% from a year ago. The retailer posted a profit of $20.2 million, or 41 cents a share, vs. a profit of $3.65 million, or 8 cents a share, a year ago.

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While she’s had several best-selling books, Kondo isn’t known for merchandise. In fact, her pitch has been a minimalist one, encouraging her followers to get rid of things that don’t “spark joy.”

But even her lifestyle requires some possessions, and they need to be organized. There’s a collection of KonMari merchandise on her official website described as “items that spark joy for Marie,” including house slippers and incense.

“When I was looking to develop products, I wanted a sustainable line that would spark joy and deliver the versatility and expertise The Container Store is famous for,” Kondo said in a news release.

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Kondo sold KonMari to Rakuten Inc. in 2019.

Reiff has mentioned Kondo’s effect on consumers and said that when the Netflix series premiered last year, the retailer noticed a bump in sales.

This is The Container Store’s second line of exclusive branded products with professional organizers. In May 2019, the retailer started selling The Home Edit products designed by Nashville-based home organization gurus Clea Shearer and Joanna Teplin, who star in their own Netflix home organization show that focuses on celebrities and is produced by Reese Witherspoon.

Twitter: @MariaHalkias

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