Daiso

In true Japanese style, Daiso is colourful, sparkly and bright. A household name in Japan, Daiso – a “hyaku-en” (100 yen) megastore – was founded in 1977 in Japan by Hirotake Yano and is not just another junk-ridden $2 shop.

The sheer scale of the Daiso operation is what keeps the prices low. Instead of buying products at a lower standard in order to drive prices down, Daiso purchases more wholesale goods at once, at a lower cost per unit. The savings the company makes buying in bulk are passed on to the consumer and the quality of the 100,000 products in the stores remains at a higher standard.

Pick up useful knick-knacks for the office with a wide range of stationery and space-saving products that will get you organised. Stock your kitchen with a rabbit-shaped pancake pan or heart-print coffee cup. Or make yourself over with Daiso’s range of make-up and skincare products, some of which have won beauty awards in Japan. And yes, for just $2.80 a pop.