Recently, the well-known retail brand MINISO found itself in hot water over a promotional video. According to reports from multiple media outlets, a video created by the entertainment blogger “A-Lei Diary” for MINISO featured a controversial plotline where “after completing floor renovations at home, one could peek through the floor gaps into a female neighbor’s bedroom downstairs.” This content, which trivialized voyeurism and female privacy invasion for entertainment, quickly sparked a collective boycott from netizens and fellow bloggers. Many viewers expressed discomfort, and numerous female consumers publicly condemned the content for disregarding women’s personal safety, glorifying voyeurism, and crossing the line of social decency. They demanded the brand remove the video and hold those responsible accountable.
On the evening of July 13, MINISO’s subsidiary, MINISO Preferred Technology (Guangzhou) Co., Ltd., issued an official apology letter, admitting to lapses in content review that led to the production of inappropriate promotional material. The company also announced four corrective measures. MINISO stated that immediately after the incident, it conducted a thorough investigation and rigorously dealt with those responsible. To ensure a complete overhaul and prevent recurrence, the company outlined four specific actions: First, immediate termination of the partnership—all collaborations with the blogger have been formally ended, and all related promotional content has been taken down across all platforms. Second, an upgrade to the content review mechanism—strengthening review standards throughout the content creation process to close any loopholes. Third, improving influencer management—optimizing the entry, review, and supervision systems for brand-blogger collaborations to control content quality from the source. Fourth, internal accountability and rectification—disciplinary actions against involved departments, along with educational warnings and process improvements.
The controversial video, posted by the entertainment blogger “A-Lei Diary” (who has 530,000 followers) on platforms like Douyin in early July, was originally intended to promote MINISO’s home textile products. To highlight the “thinness” of MINISO’s memory foam mattress pads, the blogger inserted a bizarre plotline about “peeping at a female downstairs neighbor after floor renovations.” The video’s vulgar and offensive storyline sparked widespread outrage among netizens. Initially, MINISO only responded through online customer service, saying it would “relay the issue to the relevant department for verification,” without issuing an immediate formal statement or apology. The blogger later deleted the controversial segments themselves.
This isn’t the first time MINISO has had to publicly apologize for inappropriate promotional content. In 2024, the brand’s official flagship store released a video showcasing chiikawa IP products, which included an inappropriate name for the character, hurting the feelings of many fans. That incident also sparked controversy. Back then, MINISO issued a similar apology after the public outcry, admitting the naming was wrong and hurt fan sentiment, and took steps like removing the video, firing the primary responsible person, and penalizing the relevant team while mandating corrective actions.
It’s worth noting that in today’s marketing landscape, where brands deeply collaborate with influencers and bloggers, the brand—as the client and beneficiary—should bear the responsibility for reviewing the content created on its behalf. While terminating partnerships, issuing apologies, and reforming mechanisms afterward are necessary remedial steps, what deserves deeper reflection is that commercial promotions should never sacrifice personal privacy or break social norms just to grab attention. Respecting personal safety and upholding legal and moral boundaries should be the fundamental principles for any brand’s marketing efforts.
According to public information, MINISO is a global retail brand under MINISO (Guangzhou) Co., Ltd., founded by Ye Guofu in 2013, with its headquarters in Guangzhou’s Haizhu District. It focuses on trendy lifestyle products characterized by high cost-performance and IP designs. As a representative company in China’s retail sector, MINISO officially listed on the New York Stock Exchange in October 2020 under the ticker “MNSO,” becoming the first Chinese physical retail enterprise to list in the U.S. In July 2022, it also listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange under the code “9896.HK.” Additionally, the company launched the pop culture brand “TOP TOY” in 2020. After more than a decade of expansion, as of the end of 2025, MINISO has approximately 8,500 stores globally, covering multiple countries and regions, making it one of the retail brands with the largest store network in China.
As of press time, MINISO’s Hong Kong-listed shares were down 0.89%, trading at HKD 22.22 per share, with a total market capitalization of HKD 27.12 billion. Earlier in the session, the stock had fallen by nearly 3%.
