Sales at Don Quijote stores in Japan soar, boosted by tourists

Business is booming at Japanese discount chain Don Quijote, which sells everything from nostril-hair wax to compact gadgets and colourful party costumes, thanks to its cult status among tourists but also inflation at home.

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TOKYO - Business is booming at Japanese discount chain Don Quijote, which sells everything from nostril-hair wax to compact gadgets and colourful party costumes, thanks to its cult status among tourists but also inflation at home.

At a large Don Quijote store in Tokyo's bustling Shibuya district, hundreds of tourists rush to fill their baskets with snacks and souvenirs from its heaving narrow aisles.

"I was pretty overwhelmed at first, because there're so many options, everything's in a different language," 27-year-old Garett Bryan from the US told AFP.

"I felt like I bought a lot and it was only like US$70 (S$90),"" he said, adding that he got "a coffee cup for my mum, a fan, some Godzilla chopsticks, ... a couple (of) toys".

The chaotic cut-price shops nicknamed "Donki" were founded in the 1980s by Mr Takao Yasuda, who named them after his business inspiration: the idealistic protagonist of the classic Spanish novel, Don Quixote.

He wanted to shake up Japan's staid retail industry with new tactics, including late-night opening hours as well as more varied prices and product lines.

Now a record influx of visitors to Japan, fuelled by a weak yen, is boosting sales nationwide.