Umeda LOFT — Attraction in Osaka

I love LOFT since I first chanced upon it in Tokyo. It’s a departmental store with fashion, kitchen, beauty segments.

A great place to shop for souvenirs imo! I recommend the Shupatto reusable bags as they’re big when opened and flat when folded. I used to think SGD11-20 is too expensive for a shopping bag but I’ve already bought a small and medium size for myself and 3-4 more for friends.

The way the goods were displayed were very attractive to me! I love nice crockery and kitchenware and bought some items for myself and my friends.

There’s also a huge beauty section with various make up and skincare products on level 2.

(TAX FREE FOR TOURISTS) Check with staff or read posters regarding the minimum spending - I believe it is 5,000 yen. Once you’ve made payment at the various levels, present the receipts and items at the tax-free counters at level 4 for tax-free refund.

Just a tip, some people mentioned the staff are slow. Do hold some items and receipts in your hands. I was standing in queue and there were some idle staff but the moment I took my items and receipts out (to prepare as I wa next in line), a staff swiftly offered me a basket and processed my items.

As usual, these will be packed in the tax-free transparent plastic packaging that you are not supposed to open until you leave Japan. Hence, if you need to strategize how you want them packed, pls...

一言以蔽之，退税收手续费，退税非常不专业，服务很差又慢，建议避免。

Si vous êtes un voyageur et cherchez une boutique avec service de détaxe, il faut absolument éviter ce magasin. Il vous chargera 1.55 pour-cent frais de service, et il prendra l’éternité pour cette pire service.

The shop itself is equipped, items are quite abundant.

However for tax free shopper I highly dis-recommend this shop. The tax free counter is a nightmare and a total mess. We were asked to pay on the second floor for all beauty products. Instead of redirecting us to the forth floor tax free counter, they insisted to finish all payment procedure. We then go to the tax free counter, the cashier had to take out everything, re-print a receipt with bar code, and check every code again… already it took forever… then they didn’t know how to scan my passport, so they checked the guide book, all three of them… This misery ended after around 30 minutes. They, unexpectedly, charge you 1.55% service fee for tax free service, which was around 980 yen out of 6400 yen tax, so I received about 5400 yen in the end.

There is nothing wrong with their products. Just an unpleasant shopping experience (one of my worst in Japan).

I will not come to...

Loft Umeda is a fantastic store with a huge variety of items, from cosmetics and travel gear to stationery and unique gifts. It's definitely worth checking out! One thing to keep in mind is the tax refund process for tourists. While you can get a tax refund in cash, it requires a bit of patience. Here's how it works: Pay full price on each floor: You'll need to pay for your purchases on the floor where you get them. Head to the 4th floor: The tax refund counter is located on the 4th floor. Be prepared for a wait: The refund process can take some time, especially if there's a queue. It could take up to an hour during...