When I first stepped into Daiso, I was surprised to find “Everything $1.50 ea” signs plastered around the store multiple times in several languages. As I walked around and saw supplies varying from pie cutters to lace curtains, I was even more surprised at how the store managed to sell all of these different products for the same price. It didn’t seem logical to me, but I wasn’t about to question low prices, especially when the quality of the products seemed fine.
Brightly lit, white aisles, walls and organized shelves resulted in a refreshing, clean look. While I didn’t have to sort through piles of items thrown carelessly on the floor or find a dog’s t-shirt in the designated area for makeup, I did have to squeeze around a little when passing by people through the aisles.
Besides feeling a little crowded in the aisles, the more I browsed through the store, the more I fell in love. I re-experienced my childhood in a section devoted to Japanese and Chinese foods and drinks.
There were 22 aisles filled with so many items that beckoned me to buy them. It amazed me how one store could offer a huge variety of items; it felt as though Costco shrank down in size and transported to Asia.
However, I did find the lack of quirky, creative inventions disappointing. Long before the one in Temple City opened, Daiso became a topic of great discussion among my friends, with most of them mentioning all the ingenious and useful things that could be found there.
I then, of course, went with heightened expectations of products, such as Japanese powdered candy that can mimic the appearance of sushi and an umbrella with a transparent curtain attached, only be disappointed with typical strawberry shaped lunch boxes and chocolate molds.
Throughout my shopping trip, I noticed the signs advertising low prices clarified that prices could differ from $1.50 if marked. Even then, I only found a few items priced more or less, such as an iPhone charger made for cars. The highest price I found was $4.00.
After I got home, my curiosity got the best of me and I researched how Daiso could offer items at such low prices.The answer? Years of business experience and a large network of stores.