Sanrio Kitty Shop — Local services in Waitematā

i visited sanrio gift gate not long ago to purchase a gift for my partner. while at the counter i asked a question about one of the mystery items that was displayed, curious about it i asked what it was and the worker responded ‘it’s a blind bag sort of thing’. i asked if we could see what characters we could possibly win (like a little sheet of what characters there were - as it was 13 dollars and i wanted to make sure i knew what i was paying for) and i was answered with a demeaning ‘it’s a blind bag..?’. sanrio is a nice warm line of cute characters and people come to sanrio gift gate in person because of the experience. we don’t have many (if any) licensed sanrio stores in the southern hemisphere so it’s an honour to have something so close. speaking to a customer like this doesn’t feel welcoming especially since you don’t know them or their experiences at all, i happen to be autistic and i used to visit sanrio gift gate in person as it felt like a safe quiet space for me, but this experience has shyed me away :-( i don’t expect the workers to change themselves to fit the core sanrio...

I can't believe I haven't written a review prior. Staff are SO friendly, usually with stores I have my favourites but each and every single staff member is so likeable. My first few times entering I felt out of place as I have like, green hair and baggy black clothing, completely opposite to the cute vibe of the shop. Despite this the staff always talk with me in such a soothing tone. Especially this one staff member, i'm pretty sure she's the owner, seems about 30-50. She is SO sweet and adorable, she reminds me of my mother with the way she speaks and her manners. I always purchase Pompompurin merchandise and she takes note of it which I find sweet, it's such a small detail but I like how she remembers. Also on the store's instagram she posts images of products sometimes with odd but cute captions. The english is a bit off but I think it adds more charm, anytime I see the posts I smile. I come here almost anytime I visit the city and I totally recommend it. Sure it's a little pricey, but it's worth it for...

Many people complain about the price but honestly it is the same price range as every other Sanrio store I have been to in Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong etc. Yes, it is expensive but it's officially licensed merchandise that is also imported so you can't expect huge affordability when going here. If you plan on purchasing a gift here then $50-$100 is probably the average budget you're looking at.

I've used the website for purchasing quite a few times but this was my first time visiting the Queen street outlet. It's a nice sized shop with good selection. The lady working there was very friendly and made some nice small talk about some of the products we were getting. Considering this is NZ's one and only official Sanrio retailer I think it is a delightful little shop that is...