Lopia tonarie CREO — Local services in Tsukuba

This place is insanely crowded all the time! We're still in the middle of a pandemic?! Probably nobody who shops or works there is vaccinated yet?!? But the prices, particularly for meat and produce, are dirt cheap, so I get the appeal. However, those sections are so crowded that it feels like you're standing in a Black Friday line - people on all sides, you're shuffling forward a few centimeters at a time, obnoxious music blaring and sample corner employees hawking their products.

But everything is fresh and surprisingly high quality, and they have a decent selection of import products as well. Their alcohol section seems quite expansive. Checkout was quite fast despite the lines already forming before 11 AM when I went.

If you go by car, avoid the South-1/南1 parking lot. It's the closest to Tonarie, so it's always very packed, but it's also a very cramped lot in general. (It's fine if you have a kei, but if you drive a larger car, there can be some tight spots.) If you can bear to walk a little bit, I recommend North-1/北1, which is probably the next closest. South-2/南2 and South-3/南3 get quite far in comparison, but they're unlikely to be...

Unfortunately they still don't have digital payment system. You have to bring in your cash and put inside the machine. It's very troublesome. Everything is getting digital. I hope they incorporate soon. Otherwise the place is compact. Only food items. Comparatively little cheaper than nearby shops. But closes at only 8 in the...

This place is nice. It adds a different angle on all the Kasumi grocery stores and Costco stores in the area. Right now though, it is always crowded. So the lanes can feel a bit narrow. Parking is not bad, but pretty much you have one choice, and it sometimes can be inconveniently slow. But the prices are quite good. Lots of...