① Foreign Tourists: The Big Spenders at Daiso

Overseas Card Payments Increased by 50% Last Year

Cosmetics Have Become Must-Buy Shopping Items

"Kore meccha kawaii (This is really cute)."

At 2 p.m. on the 19th, Daiso Myeongdong Main Store in Jung-gu, Seoul was bustling with foreign tourists. Japanese tourists, seeing the new spring chick character products, exclaimed "kawaii," meaning "cute."

The busiest spot for tourists was the cosmetics section. Japanese visitors, without exception, picked out sheet masks. Seeing the popular "Vaseline Mask Pack," which is also a hit in Korea, they said, "I saw this on a recommendation list," and put it in their baskets. They were seen checking their phone screens and scanning the shelves for items. They were referring to card news articles such as "Top 10 Must-Buy Cosmetics at Korean Daiso" that are spreading on Japanese social networking services (SNS).

Izumi Toyama, a woman in her 20s who visits Daiso every time she travels to Korea, said, "They have a wide variety of cosmetics and stationery at affordable prices." She added, "Mask packs are already famous, so I buy them every time I visit, and these days I also buy Sanrio and Disney character stationery." When asked if there are any Daiso cosmetics popular among Japanese people in their 20s these days, she mentioned that tint and other color cosmetics from the Dinto brand are popular.

The scene was similar at Daiso Myeongdong Station Branch, where all 12 floors are retail space. In front of the first-floor elevator, a long line of foreign tourists had formed. In front of the second-floor cosmetics store, male tourists waited while looking at their phones as their girlfriends shopped. Kitagawa Hotaka, a man in his 20s, said, "News that there is a 12-story Daiso in Korea has spread in Japan. Many Japanese come out of curiosity," adding, "While Japanese Daiso focuses on household goods, Korea's Daiso gives the impression of having a much wider variety of items."

As Daiso has established itself as a shopping mecca for foreign tourists, sales from foreign customers have soared. Last year, the total overseas card payment amount and number of transactions at all Daiso stores increased by 50% and 42%, respectively, compared to the previous year. The growth was even steeper in shopping districts heavily visited by foreign tourists, such as Myeongdong and Hongdae. At Daiso Myeongdong Station Branch, overseas card transactions and payment amounts jumped by 60% and 74%, respectively, last year, while the Myeongdong Main Store saw increases of 50% and 60%. At Daiso Hongdae Entrance Branch, overseas card transactions rose by 45% and payment amounts by 52%, while Hongdae Branch No. 2 saw increases of 29% and 41%, respectively.

Cosmetics are the key category attracting foreign shoppers to Daiso. Based on overseas card payment amounts in January this year, an analysis of product categories sold at Daiso Myeongdong and Hongdae Branch No. 2 showed that cosmetics ranked first in sales at both locations. Second place went to food and beverages for souvenirs, such as yakgwa, third to leisure and hobby items, and fourth to stationery and fancy goods.

Posts that appear when searching for "Korea Daiso recommendations" on Instagram.

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Looking at which products are most recommended by country, American YouTubers visiting Korea frequently recommend makeup puffs in various types and sizes for 1,000 won each, deodorant, and eco-bags with Hangul designs. On Chinese portal sites, posts introduce how to use makeup puffs with puff holders, and recommend cosmetic brushes, massagers used after freezing, and various sheet masks. In Japan, there are many posts recommending only cosmetics. Recommendations include color cosmetics like eye shadow and highlighter, as well as basic skincare items such as Real Barrier brand's moisture balm and Medipeel brand's toner pads, which recently became available at Daiso.