④The Secret Behind Daiso's Popularity Among Teenagers

Affordable Snacks That Can Be Bought With Allowance

Stationery and Fancy Goods Tailored to Idol Fandom Culture

Teenagers are going wild over 'Daisokkang' videos?unboxing and showcasing items bought at Daiso?on social networking services (SNS) like TikTok. Whether they're exploring new products for their videos or buying trending items featured in these clips, teens have become a core consumer group for Daiso. Once a place to pick up practical household items like bath baskets and mops at a good value, Daiso is now a new playground for teens. Affordable, high-turnover snacks that can be bought with pocket money, fancy goods that cater to idol fandom culture, and trendy character items that instantly respond to teen interests have become Daiso's secret weapons for capturing the youth market.

The snack section at Daiso is the most crowded spot for kids. That's because there are plenty of inexpensive products that even budget-conscious teens can afford. Daiso only sells products at six fixed prices: 500, 1,000, 1,500, 2,000, 3,000, and 5,000 won. They keep prices low by bulk purchasing products to match these price points and minimizing costs for distribution channels like promotional expenses.

It's not that Daiso sells snacks close to their expiration dates to keep prices low. Daiso clearly posts notices on their snack shelves stating, "We strictly adhere to expiration dates." However, compared to the same products sold at convenience stores or supermarkets, Daiso's snacks are often cheaper but come in smaller quantities. Since manufacturers must match Daiso's fixed prices to get their products on the shelves, they have no choice but to supply items with reduced weight specifically for Daiso.

Recently, as confectionery companies have been raising prices due to increased raw material costs, Daiso snacks have become even more popular for their relative affordability. For example, Orion raised prices on 13 items including Choco Songi by an average of 10.6% last December, and Lotte Wellfood increased prices on 26 products, including Pepero, Mon Cher, Ghana, Crunky, Butter Coconut, and Margaret, starting this month. Originally, snacks at Daiso were not a main product but a 'loss leader' to attract customers. However, as the economic downturn has led not just teens but also more consumers to seek cheaper products, snacks have become a key revenue driver for Daiso.

On the 24th, children visiting Daiso Emart Mokdong store in Yangcheon-gu, Seoul, are looking at the snack shelves including cookies and jelly. February 24, 2025. Photo by Kang Jinhyung

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Another strength of Daiso's snack section is its unique selection. Since the 2010s, Daiso has expanded its food lineup to include imported snacks and jellies. As a result, you can often find items at Daiso that are rare in convenience stores or supermarkets. These products are not behind the trends, either. For example, the 'Dubai chocolate' that became a viral hit on SNS and was resold at double the price was launched at Daiso for just 2,000 won, causing a stir in the distribution industry. The 'Feastable chocolate,' made popular by a famous overseas YouTuber and sold out at convenience stores, was also launched as a new product at Daiso. While it costs 8,000 won at convenience stores, Daiso sells it for 5,000 won, making it almost impossible to buy without reserving online.

Other than snacks, the Daiso items that attract the most teen interest are stationery and fancy goods. Especially popular are Daiso's 'Polkku' (decorating Polaroids) and 'Dakku' (decorating diaries) products. These mainly include photo card protective films, masking tape, and stickers that can be used to decorate celebrity Polaroid photos or diaries.

This product lineup is possible because Daiso fully understands idol fandom culture, where it’s trendy to take 'etiquette shots'?photos of food and celebrity photo cards together at restaurants. Daiso's Polkku initiative began in 2021, when a store manager well-versed in idol culture assembled a dedicated display of '6-ring binder files' and 'OPP packaging' for storing photo cards. Though these weren't originally intended as Polkku products, their size happened to fit photo cards, and teens quickly found ways to use them. Because they were much cheaper than similar items on the market, word spread quickly among teens.

On the 24th, a student is purchasing items at Daiso Emart Mokdong store in Yangcheon-gu, Seoul. 2025.2.24. Photo by Kang Jinhyung

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After hearing about this, Daiso's merchandise planner (MD) for stationery and fancy goods researched idol culture through TikTok and Instagram. By analyzing which items teens used most, they discovered a need for albums to organize photo cards, as well as top loaders and sleeves to store them. The MD observed teen girls shopping for these items at select shops and franchise fancy stores, recognized the market potential, and launched 11 types of Polkku supplies in 2022.

Polkku supplies sold out immediately upon release, proving their popularity. Daiso further appealed to the current generation of teens by launching products with a 'high-teen concept' that matches their preference for a chic mood. Last year, they even released albums that can hold idol ID photos and 'life four-cut' photos. The 'Poka cover' that protects photo cards and the binder for organizing collected cards became known as 'elementary school must-haves' at Daiso, even being exported overseas.

Character goods are also popular. Starting in 2019 with a squirrel character plushie, the 'Chubby Cheeked Friends' series became a Daiso steady seller. Despite not being a famous licensed character, its cute design and affordable price led to a complete sellout within ten days of launch. Since then, the character lineup has continued to expand with rabbits, hamsters, quokkas, and more, maintaining its initial popularity.

Daiso also sells licensed character goods that are trending among teens. The most notable are Disney character products. By partnering with companies holding Disney licenses, Daiso now offers over 800 Disney-themed items, including plushies, tableware, and stationery series.

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Currently, digital content related to Daiso has developed into a form of entertainment among teenagers, driving sales growth in product categories mainly sought after by teens, such as snacks, stationery, and fancy goods. Videos showcasing products purchased at Daiso typically guarantee view counts in the hundreds of thousands. An elementary school student’s Daiso shopping vlog titled "What Should Elementary Students Buy at Daiso?" has 250,000 views on YouTube, and a 58-second Daiso unboxing short video showing various purchased items recorded 540,000 views. A product introduction video titled "Must-Buy Items at Daiso" has reached 3.09 million views.