The quality at Daiso and such is lightyears above dollar stores in the US. It’s quite outstanding. In the US often to make those products cheaper something is

The quality at Daiso and such is lightyears above dollar stores in the US. It’s quite outstanding. In the US often to make those products cheaper something is reduced, it could be the the size for example. Aluminum foil might be $1 at Dollar General for an 8ft roll and $3 at Target for a 30ft roll, so the Target one is generally cheaper on a per unit basis. The $1 version has the lower nominal price and illusion of being cheaper. These stores then are not as cheap as they may seem. Brushing broad strokes with a wide brush, I also find the overall attention to detail and pride to be much better in Japan so the stores are cleaner, staff friendlier, etc. While the US counterparts are dirty, unorganized etc. The article makes it sound like a self-fulfilling prophecy. This reminds me of the broken window effect (which intuitively makes sense but may not actually be true).