Daiso - Japanese Household Goods — Local services in Willowbrook

Disclaimer: I lived in Japan for 12 years and, in the 12+ years since I left, I’ve continued to travel there (so my knowledge of/experience with Japan spans some 25 years). All that said, I read the reviews before I came. Some speak clearly to incorrect expectations and lack of knowledge (I’m sorry to say). Of all the ¥100 chains in Japan, Daiso has always been my favorite (especially in Nagoya). When I first moved there in 2000, I bought things from ¥100 shops because they were cheap thinking I’d replace them in the near future once I was more settled. What I came to realize is that the items lasted very long and there wouldn’t necessarily be a need to replace them. Just because they were cheap (inexpensive) did not make them inferior (but I personally would never buy discount cleaning supplies as they end up costing you more in the long run). Daiso items are unique and, for those in small spaces, you’ll find many space-saving items. To give you an idea, my apartments in Japan were around 23m2 … very typical so you need to save space. This Daiso is just what I expected. What DID surprise me was the markup particularly as the yen is SO WEAK now. But for those that complain, it’s not Daiso. It’s capitalism with which you seem to have an issue… and that’s a whole different discussion. As I walked around today, it was just fun to see J-things and their かわいい take on things. As always, I saw many clever space-saving items and many items rather distinct to living in Japan. Pity my nabe pot is back in Sweden. Though many (though not all) things are made outside Japan (usually in other Asian countries, eg, China, S Korea and Vietnam), Daiso products are generally high(er) standard (for a dollar store of course!) and intelligently/thoughtfully designed. Whether that translates to the American market, I can’t say. However, I recall finding a Daiso in Kuwait many years ago and thanking my lucky stars. Even with the markup I was happy to see some old favorites. For me - I’ll shop Daiso IN JAPAN. If able, I’d suggest anyone who can do the same (simply for the experience). You’d see scores of J-people buying the same things. Especially with a weaker economy, many J-people shop there out of necessity but this pressure has helped Daiso create more/different products. Many are really innovative, filling a need in the market. Anyway, enjoy Daiso here in...

So, reading through some of these reviews from a newly opened store is comical. Obviously, you’ll get a lot of fake reviews or reviews from people that have false information. Here are a couple key points to point out:

-someone gave the store 1 star because they didn’t bother to bundle up. Remember adult children, if it’s cold outside wear a winter coat, winter hat, gloves, and scarf. Don’t try to be “cool” by wearing a t -shirt, shorts, and no coat at all. Also, basic grammar would be appreciated.

-one person gave the store 1 star because they didn’t know how to use Google. A quick Google search as well as on social media showed me that the store opened up on 1/18/25 (Sat).

Conversion rates are not going to be accurate so this is not really a dollar store. It’s just a Japanese discount store. I’ll have to go back when it’s not flooded by newbies. You can find a lot of goodies that are cheap to slightly expensive (for what it is. $1.75 to $15.25). Just FYI, be careful with the items that are not marked. I know it says without a price it’s $1.75 but some of the items will come out much higher. Other than that, customer service was friendly and they got the line going, the best they...

i was already having a bad day and i came into this daiso for this first time today . a male employee greeted me and my partner when we got in . 10-15 minutes later we were going to checkout and we didn’t know if we were supposed to checkout with an employee or a self-service kiosk . a female employee with black & green hair came out of the blue and rudely said “the checkout is on the other side” with obvious attitude to the voice , making it sound like we were dumb or something . we checked out and the male employee complimented my outfit and conversed with my partner and told us to have a great day . i don’t think i would return to this daiso , as that interaction with the female employee wasn’t pleasant and i feel like i didn’t deserve whatever attitude was given towards me . not even a greet or thank...