TESO LIFE — Attraction in Rockville

This shop is just one big gimmick, and their pricing is laughably exorbitant. If you’ve never been to an Asian market and/or variety store before, please understand that Teso Life is robbing you blind. The store is full of ridiculous mark-ups, notably on cosmetics and snacks, and it seems like a means of taking advantage of new shoppers who are drawn in by the trendy, high-demand items that they never actually have in stock.

Even though their blind boxes are the main attraction, and they most definitely have the space to accommodate the crowds they draw in, the two (2) whole tables they’re crammed into are hardly accessible (their selection is also pretty subpar). The aisles are very narrow as well, and you would think that since they want you to buy their cute products, they wouldn’t force you to speed-browse the store and flatten yourself against the shelves like an idiot to avoid getting shoved out of the way.

On the flip side, the staff is very kind and helpful. I know that there can be a lot of stress and pressure behind the scenes of these places, and in spite of that, they do a great job of holding down the store. I will say though that while I’m aware theft is a major issue, if employees are going to follow customers around the store, they should be more discreet in doing so.

Going out of your way for Teso Life and its suffocating and highly overstimulating environment for things that can be found at any of its competitors is not worth the trouble, not to mention that the parking, or lack thereof, is an...

Wow. This place is like a mini Donki from Japan. It has the most Japanese things in the DMV, from personal care to Kit Kats to kitchen utensils. I'm a lot closer to Marufuji in Tyson's than Teso, so I thought Marufuji was the best we had. God damn, was I wrong. Teso's product selections are enormous. It's easily 10 - 20 times Marufuji's. There are aisles and aisles of personal care products - shampoos, conditioners, masks. They are all Japanese and Asian made. Marufuji has tiny aisles.

Teso also has better prices. One Pocari Sweat bottle in Marufuji is $3.99. It's $2.69 here. For context, it's like $0.99 in Japan. The Kit Kat collection here is also fully stocked. Marufuji just can't compete with Teso, unfortunately, in terms of pre-packaged products. There is so much more available and at cheaper prices.

I'm not abandoning Marufuji, though. It shines in freshly made food, periodically updated local products directly from Japan, and the Marufuji café itself. You get zero of that at Teso here. So, in a way, they are kind of in different categories. The parking lot out front is way too small for how busy the area is. The places next door are also popular. You’re guaranteed to struggle to park.

Bottom line: packaged stuff and personal care, go to Teso. Food, drinks, and local products straight from Japan go...

I loved it today!

I caught the opportunity to get in and get back to my car before the rain started.

The store was super organized and well stocked, even though there was a long line out in the front. This is not surprising given how well the advertise for its opening today.

I luckily caught it announcements via TikTok.

Things they did correctly:

While the line was long and moved quickly Super attentive and engaging staff walking through the isles happy to answer questions for those who could not read outside of the English language The facial care specialist was a superstar she gave everyone attention, and she did her best not to look over flustered The cashiers were phenomenal. They were registering everything and also organizing a receipt for you. The collectibles and toy items were tucked in the stage front area if you’re back was towards the registers in the front. This was a great idea, especially as it reduced cluttering of the isles given some people came specifically for the collectibles and others came for the toilet and for the kitchen and stationary portions.

The management did a great job with this opening! I’m gonna invite my friends over the next time. Thank you...