$0.99 shop and 100yen shop

Let me be honest. My trip to the U.S was really nice. But if you asked me what I was dissapointed about, I would reply it's the bathroom situation and Super Markets. I went to a nice Super Market in Santa Monica. But I did not receive a good impression from others. Especially I had a bad experience at a Wal-Mart in LA. (Not only inside -- I was asked for money from someone in the parking lot). I found this page today: "Filthy Wal-Mart". The LA Wal-Mart was not like this, but my impression of Wal-Mart was like this, he he he. But!! Super Markets were still better than $0.99 shops. I am sorry to say this: American $0.99 shops are really useless. I won't forget a dolphin figurine I found in a $0.99 shop in Arizona. It was the funniest and the worst design stuff in 2006 for me.

In Japan, 100yen shops can't survive without some effort anymore. So they池e very different from American $0.99 shops. Look at this, this and this is the official web page of a nice 100yen shop "Natural Kitchen." Check their items here. Cute!

Not only talking about the U.S., I will show Japanese wacky crazy shame too. Look at this: "Japan's New Teen Rebels?・Hmm, a very positive title it was. I will title it "Ganguro Returns."

Comments

[cheap coach bags]

this is very interesting Weight: The previous versions were a good step forward. The ability to carry 10-12 books in a relatively small if heavy form factor was fantastic. This version weighs less then 9 ounces. That's less than a can of soda. The device is said to hold up to 80 books with more possible through memory cards. This could do for books what then iPod did for music. Imagine carrying around a large portion of your library much like you carry your music collection in your iPod?

[cheap coach bags]

this is very interesting Weight: The previous versions were a good step forward. The ability to carry 10-12 books in a relatively small if heavy form factor was fantastic. This version weighs less then 9 ounces. That's less than a can of soda. The device is said to hold up to 80 books with more possible through memory cards. This could do for books what then iPod did for music. Imagine carrying around a large portion of your library much like you carry your music collection in your iPod?

[Kyotocutie]

I really miss 100 yen stores. It is true that they are not junk-stores like dollar stores tend to be here in America. There are some very nice things to be bought at 100 yen stores. I bought some beautiful looking folding fans and other souveniers for nephews and nieces who wanted something that looked realistic (but that wouldn't be too much lost money when it was lost or broken). I regularly shopped there for kitchen utensils, netted bags for washing delicates, stickers and stationary, and craft cord (used for drawstrings of bags).

I haven't been in a Wal-mart for a long time because they are consistently disorganized, crowded, and have poor customer service. Though I disagree with some of Target's philosophies, I prefer to shop there. They have a lot more to offer, and I am willing to pay a few extra cents for good service and a clean store (and toilet!).

[Esther]

Yes, Americans DO go to Wal-Mart...but they don't like it. ;o) At least that's my opinion and I've heard others voice the same. It's those low prices that get you in there. I go for tires and, like you, prepaid cell service since I use my cell phone very little. My Mother goes for prescription medicine and sometimes groceries. It's never a pleasant experience, almost always stressful unless you go at 11 p.m. I try to avoid it when I can find a reasonable alternative.

[Mari]

Hi there
I went there to buy prepaid card cell phone. I heard they have very cheap one. Usually Amecian does not go? Who go there?

[Tagore Smith]

I somehow have the impression that Americans just aren't as concerned about bathrooms as Japanese are- it might be because I'm male though. I know women care more about them than most men. We definitely don't have the kinds of space age toilets here that you have, though I heard that a Japanese company is starting to market them to the wealthy.

Wal Mart is good if you want to pay very little for something, and you don't care about the quality very much. But it's certainly not what I would want foreign visitors to judge us on, at least the ones I've been to.There are good department stores in the US (a couple of great ones in NYC- but they can be very expensive) and lots of really good grocery stores, at least in some areas. Anyway, I'm glad you enjoyed your visit.

[Jonathan (of the Japan Journal)]

I have to say that I like Daiso a lot more than most of the 99-cent shops back home in America.

[Jack]

The quality of a Wal-Mart store interior depends on the management of the individual store. Wal-Mart would rather take an injury to their reputation than to their profits.

The "Dollar" stores in the U.S. are considered most as "the place to buy batteries." They aren't doing as well as they used to. There was a time you couldn't go through a neighborhood without seeing one.

I've been reading this blog for almost a year, and this is my first response. Hello!

[Mehyar]

Hi

For one thing....all the shops mentioned here sell things made out of cheap materials that release toxic stuff like Formaldehyde.

[Mark]

Doug, you slay me! Take that act on the road.

To the others, check the labels on the stuff from Daiso and Can Do: 中国製.

[Doug]

May I ask why you went to Walmart in the first place?

Americans don't go to Walmart unless they need a place to practice a foreign language. It's a place for non-english speakers to practice english and english speakers to practice a foreign language. Think of it as a language center.

Why you go there to buy stuff is beyond me.

[Pira U]

When I was in Tokyo last year, I made a point of going into a number of 100 Yen shops and was astounded by not only the quality of the items but the good design.

By comparison the $1 shops in the US and Canada are dreadful ~ the dolphin you encountered is typical of the tacky items available. Sometimes I think it's the place all rejected designs end up. The only thing that it is useful for is goods that are to be considered disposible in the first place (wrapping paper for children's parties etc.)

As for Walmart ~ I have found each and ever single one I have ever entered to be a nightmare of disorganization and usually leave after one walk around the store....which often ends up feeling like running an obstacle course as I try to find my way to the nearest exit.

[Erica]

Dear Mari,

Thank you for showing items from Japanese 100 yen shops - yes, they are better than the U.S.'s $.99 (99 cent) shops, but it depends on where you look . . . there can be some very nice items from China in 99 cent shops in New York City, for example.

Still, I think Japan's love of quality shows even in its low-cost items. Certainly the inexpensive items I bought in Japan were of good quality. . . Many Americans do not know that Japan can be inexpensive, such as at Matsumotokiyoshi (I hope I remembered the name correctly, I was in Japan almost 7 years ago).

Just one typographical note: You accidentally put $99 shop, which would mean that items in the store cost 99 dollars, which is not cheap! Putting a period (.) between the dollar sign and 99 turns it into $.99 or a 99 cent shop.

I am learning to read Japanese and already speak it (I can listen to SMAPxSMAP, the TV show, and have lots of fun) but lack sufficient vocabulary to speak well(gambarimasu!)

Cheers, Erica

[Sutanai]

I think Seiyu followed the Wal-Mart business strategy, like everyday low prices.

But they failed because they just do not understand Japansese consumer behavior well, somehow.

They also failed in Korea, last year, because the same reason (I heard the store enviroment is somehow unattractive like local store such as Lotte.)

[Mark]

Oh, I love Wal-Mart! And K-Mart and Target and Costco! Most of them are very clean. I like to go there and walk around -- they are so big, you can get a lot of exercise. I don't really buy that much, but the prices are cheap and some of the merchandise is pretty good, like shoes. There are some things I buy there and bring back with me to Japan. You can get a year's worth of aspirin for the cost of a few Bayers in Japan.

The produce is very bad at Wal-Mart, but it's almost as bad at Whole Foods, where it looks prettier, but still tastes crappy. Produce in the United States is not as good as in Japan. They grow it all in California, pick it too early, and ship it everywhere.

American 99-cent stores and dollar stores are not that great -- mostly because there is Wal-Mart, which is just as cheap, with better stuff!

Wal-Mart invested in Seiyu, but Seiyu is not following Wal-Mart's Everyday Low Prices policy: they have sales and time-service and the like, so it's too much work to know when to go to save money. At Wal-Mart you can just go anytime and get good prices.

[Sutanai]

100 Yen shop in Japan is a very very cool place. They provide quality products (of　course some are not)mostly from Asian counties. 100 Yen shops help people save a lot of money. Japanese 100 Yen shop business model has been applied to other counties, but it seems this model is not work so well in other markets outside Japan.

I am agree with you, the ugly dolphin (or whatever)figurine is one of the worst stuff I have ever seen.