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They are popular because they are good. The products have good designs and reasonable quality, at or above the $1 level. The stores are bright, clean, and the s

They are popular because they are good. The products have good designs and reasonable quality, at or above the $1 level. The stores are bright, clean, and the staff friendly. My guess is that they have a much more integrated supply chain than the stores in the US and can better understand what their customers want/need. There is an air of quality around ¥100 shop shop and a stigma of $1 stores being junk. Any reasonable Okaasan takes it as a badge of honor finding good stuff and bragging about it.

zdragnar 5y ago
I used to have the same opinion of dollar tree and co, until I met my wife, who shops there frequently. Like any other store, there are certain things that you should get elsewhere. However, I was genuinely impressed that the quality of many things was quite a bit higher than what the stereotype had led me to believe. Edit: perhaps it is worth pointing out that she also shops Wal-Mart and aldis, and buys only from each of the three stores what the better deals are.
- wirthjason 5y ago
  What are the good things to buy there? I think someone else mentioned crayons in this thread.
  - zdragnar 5y ago
    It really depends on your needs and access to other stores. There's a relatively limited selection of greeting cards compared to places like walmart or target, but you'll save 4-5 dollars each that way. Dish detergent and other cleaning supplies can be hit or miss, same with staple spices like black pepper. We have a lot of battery operated candles that we use semi-frequently, and after a failed experiment with rechargable batteries bought online, we went back to the dollar packs of AA and AAA. For smoke detectors and other 9v batteries, I tend to go elsewhere. Pet supplies can be a really good deal- collars and toys. I don't know that I would trust their food or treats other than the milkbone biscuits that my wife's dog has been happily eating for 17 years. Laundry softener sheets if you use them, holiday decor, some craft supplies, scissors or other items that you might use on occasion. If it is going to see heavy use, probably buy elsewhere. If not, and you just need something that gets the job done, dollar tree can be hard to beat. That last point is why I tend to dislike applying the "boots" trope to these stores- not everything you buy will be worth investing top dollar in. Some things I would definitely consider passing on- their olive oil "blend" bottles might seem like a good deal until you read the ingredients. It is 98% canola, 2% olive oil. It is probably the only item that actually is a real rip-off of the tings that I have looked closely at.

zdragnar 5y ago

I used to have the same opinion of dollar tree and co, until I met my wife, who shops there frequently. Like any other store, there are certain things that you should get elsewhere. However, I was genuinely impressed that the quality of many things was quite a bit higher than what the stereotype had led me to believe. Edit: perhaps it is worth pointing out that she also shops Wal-Mart and aldis, and buys only from each of the three stores what the better deals are.

wirthjason 5y ago
What are the good things to buy there? I think someone else mentioned crayons in this thread.
- zdragnar 5y ago
  It really depends on your needs and access to other stores. There's a relatively limited selection of greeting cards compared to places like walmart or target, but you'll save 4-5 dollars each that way. Dish detergent and other cleaning supplies can be hit or miss, same with staple spices like black pepper. We have a lot of battery operated candles that we use semi-frequently, and after a failed experiment with rechargable batteries bought online, we went back to the dollar packs of AA and AAA. For smoke detectors and other 9v batteries, I tend to go elsewhere. Pet supplies can be a really good deal- collars and toys. I don't know that I would trust their food or treats other than the milkbone biscuits that my wife's dog has been happily eating for 17 years. Laundry softener sheets if you use them, holiday decor, some craft supplies, scissors or other items that you might use on occasion. If it is going to see heavy use, probably buy elsewhere. If not, and you just need something that gets the job done, dollar tree can be hard to beat. That last point is why I tend to dislike applying the "boots" trope to these stores- not everything you buy will be worth investing top dollar in. Some things I would definitely consider passing on- their olive oil "blend" bottles might seem like a good deal until you read the ingredients. It is 98% canola, 2% olive oil. It is probably the only item that actually is a real rip-off of the tings that I have looked closely at.