Daiso touts Japanese convenience

BY MARC CHAPPELLE
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Daiso gives me a reason to go to the Galleria.

Before the Japanese one-dollar-fifty store migrated from the bay to the suburbs, my Galleria shopping experience extended only as far as tropical fruit smoothies (judge me) from the Orange Julius or boba from Quickly. Daiso encourages me to take what little cash I have and put it down for something that won’t end up as an empty cup or wrapper in a trash can. Daiso products live forever (in my heart).

Daiso proves endlessly useful for niche things, but once you start roaming around the store, those niche things become perfectly universal. This isn’t just my experience, the vibes of the store and cutesy merchandise have this ability to make shoppers justify buying every last ceramic duck, sushi-shaped eraser, and striped chair sock.

Daiso also provides an easy channel for bottled Japanese soft drinks, like Calpico or Teas-tea.

The shop arranges its merchanidse by aisle, and each aisle serves as a window into different worlds of possibilities. The oil blotters in the cosmetic aisle will, from what my friend suggested, turn some away from their go-to online vendors and toward Daiso’s cheaply-priced wares.

Although the Galleria shop stands relatively small (all hail the mammoth Kinokuniya store), having a go-to shop for cute and practical doodads just around the corner can always come in handy.