Standard Products promises items that are “slightly better” than 100 yen store Daiso, but does that apply to all goods in store?
Owned by Daiso, arguably Japan’s most famous 100-yen (US$0.92) chainstore, Standard Products has had Tokyoites reaching for their wallets to snap up their wares since their flagship branch opened last year. In fact, it’s been almost a year since our very own Daiso super fan Go Hatori walked through the store doors for the first time, keen to grab a bargain or two.
The Standard Products store motto is “a little bit better is much better“, and they tend to sell products that are ‘slightly better’ than what is available at a regular Daiso 100 yen store. Go has been browsing the shelves throughout the year for these ‘slightly better’ products and is confident he has found the best (and the worst) of what is on offer.
First off, let’s start with a product that got a thumbs down from Go.
Standard Products’ iconic Reed Diffusers are up first. They come in twelve different aromas and cost 500 yen for 130 millilitres (4 fluid ounces). But while they’re pretty sizeable, our 100 yen shop expert gave it a thumbs down due to the fact that they just don’t smell that great.
▼ Go tried a number of the aromas available but didn’t find any of them any good.
On the other hand, the Hinoki (Japanese cypress) Pure Essential Oil was an absolute winner. Hinoki from Kochi Prefecture is used in this essential oil, and they are the same size and price as the reed diffusers.
▼ Go likes the Hinoki oil so much that he currently has four different kinds.
Moving away from the world of nice smells, Go also has recommendations for practical household items, too.
Go really rates this folding bucket. As someone who uses space as economically as Go does, he really likes how it can fold away and be easily stored without taking up too much space.
This solar powered light gets two thumbs down though. Even though it looks pretty unique, it offers practically nothing in terms of actual brightness. Even when it is at full power, the amount of light that comes from it is pitiful at best.
Go doesn’t recommend these bluetooth speakers either. For 500 yen, you might think you’re getting a fantastic deal — especially given how stylish they look — but the quality matches the price here. The sound just wasn’t good, even for 500 yen.
On the other hand, this wood-grain style mobile battery is an absolute win in Go’s books. It’s a 10,000mAh battery, which is usually good for one and a half charges of your phone. For only 1,000 yen, Go thought this was a real bargain.
And if you’re in the mood for more wood-grain electronic accessories, these cables and adapters are also on Go’s list of recommendations. They’re stylish as heck, and Go has a whole bunch of them at home.
Last on the list of Go’s must-buys are these towels. As far as Standard Products’ motto of “a little better is much better”, these fluffy towels are definitely “much better”. Go got one of these towels on his maiden voyage to Standard Products, and they’re still going strong to this day.
There are currently two Standard Products stores in Tokyo, with plans to open a third branch in Osaka in April. But don’t worry if there’s no Standard Products store in your neck of the woods — we’re sure a standard Daiso store will have everything you could ever need!
Photos: ©SoraNews24
● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
[ Read in Japanese ]