Coming to Johnson County mall: Chinese lifestyle retailer, fast-growing fashion brand

Johnson County’s Oak Park Mall is adding two brands to its roster of tenants, both the first in the Kansas City area.

Miniso — a Chinese company that sells everything from household goods to food and beverages — is opening on the mall’s lower level this month, according to a release.

Founded in 2013, Miniso carries items like plush dolls, miniature lamps and perfume. Businessman Ye Guofo jump-started Miniso after vacationing in Japan with his family and admiring its stores, which carried Chinese-made products at discounted prices.

CBL Properties, the Tennessee-based company that owns Oak Park Mall, is adding Miniso to several of its malls, including ones in Nashville, St. Louis and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

This summer, women’s fashion brand Aur Society will also open in Oak Park Mall, selling dresses, blouses, accessories and other items.

The brand aims to spread nationwide over the next five years, with stores also opening in Alabama, Wyoming and New York this year.

Aur Society will open across from Sephora, near Starbucks and Dry Goods on the upper level of the mall, 11149 W. 95th St. in Overland Park.