What’s so special about Don Quijote - one of Japan’s biggest discount store chains?
When it comes to shopping in Japan, Don Quijote is a name that one cannot fail to mention. With more than 160 stores located all across Japan and others worldwide, Don Quijote is definitely one of the biggest, if not the biggest, discount store chain in Japan.
But what’s so special about Don Quijote that makes it so famous? In this article, let’s explore with GoEMON the characteristics of this chain to find out what makes it so special and loved by many in Japan! Let’s go!
Firstly, Don Quijote offers an extremely wide variety of goods. You can practically find everything here, from food, electronics, cosmetics, household goods, and souvenirs, to different types of merchandise. You name it, Don Quijote (most likely) has it!
Secondly, just like konbini (convenience stores), Don Quijote stores are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, even during the holidays! Thus, you can shop comfortably at any time you like without having to worry about when the store opens or is going to close.
However, do keep in mind that some smaller branches or those located in rural areas might have limited working hours.
Thirdly, the prices here are super affordable. As consumers, everyone would want to buy the cheapest products but at the highest quality possible. Conveniently Don Quijote offers just that, with the majority of its products here are priced lower than the market rate.
Additionally, the chain also has a line of its own branded items which are affordable but still in pretty good quality.
Fourth is multilingual staff. Japan is a homogenous country with more than 97% of its population with Japanese nationality (based on a 2021 consensus). Thus, not many Japanese people speaks English, which may cause some inconveniences or lead to miscommunication issues for foreign visitors.
However, you don’t have to worry about such things in Don Quijote! Each store will have multilingual staff who can converse in many languages other than just English. Some branches (generally the bigger ones) will even have a cashier corner specifically dedicated for foreigners. How convenient is that!
Fifth: Accepts payment by credit card. Japan is still a very cash-reliant country, and many stores in the country still do not accept cashless payment. Don Quijote, on the other hand, accepts a wide variety of credit cards, including Visa, Mastercard, JCB, Diner Clubs, and Union Pay.
However, it is of note that the chain has yet to support payment via applications such as PayPay.
Sixth, and also the last is free Wi-Fi. In Japan, not many public spaces and stores have free Wi-Fi. Even in the cases where free Wi-Fi is available, you will most likely be unable to connect to the Wi-FI or be able to use it due to a weak signal.
Luckily that is not the case with Don Quijote, as it provides free Wi-Fi that you can actually connect to and use!
There are over 160 Don Quijote stores located all across Japan. You can access the link right here for more details on the address of each store: https://www.donki.com/store/shop_list.php
Don Quijote is a location that one definitely cannot miss out on when coming to Japan, especially those that loves shopping! First-timers are definitely going to have their minds blown away by how amazing these stores are!
Are there any other aspects of Don Quijote that you guys absolutely love? Feel free to share with us in the comments down below!
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