Once you hear the instantly infectious store jingle in Cantonese, you know you’ve arrived at Hong Kong’s newly opened Don Don Donki.
The money-saving and fun-loving Japanese discount store Don Quijote has opened its first branch (branded Don Don Donki) in Hong Kong’s Tsim Sha Tsui. A second location is scheduled to open this December.
About Don Quijote
First, for those who aren’t familiar with Don Quijote, it’s the biggest discount chain store in Japan with over 320 stores across the world. Founded in 1978 in Tokyo, the popular Japanese chain has been wooing and wowing customers thanks to its low-priced Japanese homewares, groceries, cosmetics and other delightfully weird goodies.
Hong Kong’s Don Don Donki
The Hong Kong Don Don Donki is located in Tsim Sha Tsui’s The Mira Place 2 Shopping Mall and it’s opened 24 hours a day.
Similar to its Japanese counterparts, Hong Kong’s Donki has colourful handwritten signs everywhere. It also boasts a wide array of Japanese goods—from fresh fruits to an adult-only corner to a Rimowa luggage counter.
Even Donpen (Don Quijote’s omnipresent blue penguin mascot) has its own section selling Donpen-themed merch.
There is a cooked food section in the middle of the shop, offering a range of crowd-pleasing Japanese favourites like fresh nigiri sushi, pork cutlet rice and takoyaki (fried squid balls). You can also find the store’s famous sweet potato fries stall right before the exit.
There’s an loyalty app for the Hong Kong store so customers can save points and money when shopping.
Is shopping here a real bargain?
During our visit, we noticed many of the Japanese products are cheaper here than at other shops around HK.
For example, Ryukakusan herbal drops for sore throat cost HK$29.90 at AEON department store, but only HK$19.80 at Hong Kong Don Don Donki. Likewise, a bottle of Coedo beer is about HK$10.00 cheaper at Donki than elsewhere in Hong Kong.
Some other highlights include special edition Kit Kats, sought-after baby foods and a staggering selection of instant noodles. But it doesn’t mean you can find only cheap items at Don Don Donki.
How about a red coral ring for HK$1,160,000.00 (discounted price)? Or a bottle of Nikka whiskey at HK$100,000.00?
The biggest Don Don Donki shop coming to Hong Kong
The second Donki shop will open in Tsuen Wan’s OP Mall. Spanning a whopping 50,000 sq ft, it’ll be about three times bigger than the Tsim Sha Tsui branch when it opens in December later this year.
See our Hong Kong shopping section for some retail recommendations.
