Some people can't pass a bar without going in. I can't pass a DAISO! This was definitely over of the better ones, until around the end of the summer. Ever since, the variety of merchandise has been slowly declining, and now about a third of the shelf space is completely empty. Shelves that do have merchandise have just one or two items spread out to look like more. What's going on, DAISO? Delay in shipping from Japan? Inattentive manager not doing the ordering on time? Chain expanding faster than it can supply? Whatever the problem, my last two visits have been a waste of time, when normally I'd be working hard to keep it under $30. Most of the really great stuff, that I rely on DAISO to supply, is out of stock. Only the forgettable stuff like the white china remains. Examples of DAISO hits now missing from this store: cucumber slicing mandoline, heavy Mylar stove backing, large vacuum pack clothes bags, small and clever china items like tiny soy sauce servers, almost all office/school supply bins, most kitchen gadgets.... I'm going to have to return to the Emeryville store. Nearby, I now prefer my old mainstay, Zipang. Two fruitless visits in a month predicts continued disappointment. read more

Clean store. Shelving and items always tidy and stocked. Quality of items is on point for the price. Good place to pick up small project supplies for around the house. Children running the registers consistently bag items without care or logic - go figure. read more

Love going to Daiso but need to update their system . It says contactless payments but they don't have it so it's very misguiding

Rinky and I took a field trip here today after lunch at Nong Thon. We made the date so we could wander at our leisure, unaccompanied by Alan and Mr. Rinky, neither of whom has the patience for this kind of shopping. I've only been to one other Daiso store, the one in Serramonte. This one inhabits the former Pier One location. It is bright and clean w/ well organized displays of a wide variety of products. I was briefly tempted by colorful sticky notes but resisted. Most of the stuff they offer I don't need or can resist, although I love to look at it all. I could resist the snacks and other items but then I came across practical stuff like baking soda, which we use along w/ vinegar to unclog bathroom sinks. Two boxes went into my basket, then a bottle of dishwashing soap and a few aisles later, a bottle of shampoo. The aisles were full of people, both shoppers and staff stocking shelves, but it wasn't crowded, being a Tuesday afternoon. I'm sure it was busy when it opened and w/es must be intense, but this was nice and low key. Credit and debit cards are accepted. There's a $10 minimum for credit cards. My purchases came to $5.70 including a paper bag for a quarter (El Cerrito law) so I paid cash. It was fun and I'll probably be back. read more

Reason for visit: Grand opening! Visit date: April 30, 2016 First time? YES! The new kid on the block is Daiso, located in the old Pier 1 building in El Cerrito Plaza. Today was opening day and as part of the celebration there were raffle prizes and goody bags for select customers. I arrived just before 10a (opening time) and the line snaked through the parking lot. The staff did some crowd control so the store didn't get too cramped. The store itself is huge and the lights are bright - easier to see all the awesomeness! The aisles are a little too close together but this seems to be typical for Daiso stores. Be careful not to knock anything over. Like other locations, this one carries home goods, snacks, gardening tools, cosmetics, accessories, and (my favorite) craft supplies. Staff are friendly, and even though it was crazy busy today they all kept their cool and the check out line moved quickly. read more

I'M SO HAPPY THIS EXISTS! Long gone are the days where I would have to go all the way to Berkeley, Alameda, or San Francisco to splurge on cheap Japanese things I don't need. This place used to be a Pier 1 Imports furniture store, so there's a lot of space in here. Much more room and wider aisles to wander in. The store is very brightly lit and feels very clean overall. The selection here is amazing - much bigger than Berkeley and rivals that of San Francisco's. I don't know why, but I was really surprised that they sell actual hardware tools like wrenches, screwdrivers, saws, clamps, etc. Shelves are generally well-stocked and organized. I always see employees in the aisles restocking stuff. Sometimes the cash registers are a little empty, but they always call for more open registers once the line gets long. I always come here for absolutely no reason and, of course, end up leaving with a bunch of stuff I never actually needed. JUST TAKE MY MONEY read more

This is my first visit. It is so clean and organized. I took some pictures of the wallets and mirrors for $1.50 and $2.00. Pictures of ink pens and baking items. All items are final sale. Airplane neck pillows for $3.00. read more

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So far, this is the most organized Daiso Store in the Bay Area. I love that it has adequate parking & it's very neat & tidy. Plus, the staff is very friendly & helpful. I couldn't take the shopping cart out to the car, but one of the associates offered to help me bring my bags to the car. That was really courteous & very insightful for the staff there since he noticed that I needed help. I found what I wanted to buy plus more. All the Daiso chains are also neat & well stocked, but I was very impressed with this particular store & also the Concord Daiso Store. The SF/Daly City chains are also neat & tidy, but I now prefer driving out of the city to shop here in El Cerrito. Compliments to the El Cerrito Store! read more

Was here for their grand opening day. This Daiso Japan is one of the largest store I've been to. The aisle are wide and there are lots of different merchandise that are not available at other Daiso stores. read more

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Not as large as the Daiso store in Japantown in SF but it has a nice variety of knick knacks and housewares. The sales tax is a little pricier than SF but if you live on the east bay you would save on the BART fare or bridge toll over to the city, read more

My very first Daiso experience was in Daly City about 5-6 years ago. That store location is huuuuge, so much stuff to look at. I'm glad there's a Daiso now close to where I live. Not as big as the one in the Daly City but a good size store IMO. Decided to pay a visit on 5/14/16 in the afternoon. Right when you walk in.. holy moly it's bright in the store and super clean. Plopped my daughter in the cart and away I went putting random things in the cart which I may or may not need. Don't know if it was me but I was getting hot in the store, maybe cause of the lights?? I ended up buying different Pokey stick flavors, lunch boxes, a bib for my daughter, straw fedora hat and panko bread crumbs. Don't forget to bring your own bag as they charge 10 or 20 cents? Thank god I had one of those fold up bags (from another Daiso) in my bag. read more

Daiso - My random haul - Department Stores Near Me - El Cerrito, California

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Just had to check this Daiso Japan location after my experience at the the new Emeryville Daiso which was 4 stars in my opinion. My overall impression with the El Cerrito one paled in comparison to the Emeryville one. I would give this one 2 1/2 stars. I wanted to see if this Daiso Japan carried the usb wall charger plug that the sales associate at the Emeryville one didn't, or was waiting shipment. But, unfortunately, in their electronics section, there was an empty space which could have been it. I didn't bother asking any sales associates because there were a lot of people and not anybody really on the floor. Although this place is just as huge as the Emeryville one, the layout and design makes it feel crowded. Not to mention they did not have signs over the aisle like the Emeryville one that designated the broad categories of "bath," "electronics", "school," etc. Additionally the place was messy and cluttered in some areas. There were opened boxes on the floor making the aisles difficult to pass through. I have to say the worst part of this experience was at the cash register. I came with a friend who purchased some items. The cashier lady was not friendly, in a rush, and didn't even give him a bag of ask if he needed a bag! She just looked at him with a blank stare as he stood there waiting for a bag. He bought at least 5 different things, one of which was ceramic!! The cashier lady at Daiso Emeryville put the few things I bought in a bag and even wrapped the ceramic salt and pepper shaker in newspaper to ensure it won't break. So my friend had his hands full, and I had to help in carry his things to the car and hold the ceramic item so it wouldn't accidentally break. Customer service here is terrible! read more

Daiso is my idea of fun shopping heaven. Everything is $1.50 unless marked. Everything is so colorful. Everything is so cute. Everything has a purpose. It's everything and more at Daiso! read more

I had seen several YouTube videos praising this store. I decided to check it out. It was nice to look at but alot of the items didn't seem sturdy to me. I did see a couple things I might by, but overall - not a go to place for me. I will stick with Dollar Tree for my organizational and random knick knack wants. (like the awesome 4 pack of small prep bowls. Gotta get more). read more

I love Daiso and this store is huge BUT the heater in this store has been broken since practically the day it opened. I always come out all sweaty cause it's like 90degrees in there even during the hottest days. Minus 2 stars for always making me sweat my makeup off that I worked so hard to cake on, lol... once they get that heater problem fixed, I'll bump it up to 5 stars. read more

Has a good variety of cheap Asian stuff that you couldn't get for less than 2 dollars

I really like this store. I first visited this store in Japan and the people were so nice, just like the people who work at this location. They have an awesome African-American, young lady with a great personality. Today, there was a horrible European customer, who was hateful to her. The young lady kept her cool. She didn't deserve that, and I wish there was a manager around to have protected her. I am embarrassed that she treated the young lady, in this manner. read more

I never knew I could love a store so much!! There was great service. When we paid, the lady was so kind; she even complemented us. The shop was organized, beautiful, and had great items to purchase. Plus, items were well priced. We were walking around the store for an hour pilling up on amazing finds. We will definitely come back for more! read more

+The store is clean and neat ++The price does cheap and items has better quality than $1 store +A lot of parking - long line. Every times I went there. There were one or two cashier. The line was too long , but it worth of waiting. read more

There are some missing things, we normally go to Daly City Daiso, but it suffices the basic kawai-item needs and snacks. Munchkin loved it so we will definitly be back for more! read more

Daiso - Snack snacks snacks - Department Stores Near Me - El Cerrito, California

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I like this place. It is a discount store, but doesn't feel like it. Everything is clean, well organized, and well presented. I have found some good things at reasonable prices, so I will come back. read more

The last couple of times I went shopping, I went to both Daiso's, the one in Emeryville and El Cerrito. I have always been a fan and been shopping at this store for years. Unfortunately, I am now seeing a common pattern at this store specifically, and it is now not making my shopping experience enjoyable. Because this is the better and bigger Daiso, I tend to spend a lot of time in there to make sure I've checked all aisle and grabbed everything I need and want ( with my own hard working money). I am a manager myself in customer service so to see how I was treated next made me almost question my very purchase. I was followed discreetly throughout the store, I noticed every time I looked over an employee was staring/ glancing at me, "looking lost" and never no words, not even excuse me. I was surprised but not at the same time after I kept noticing. This gave me a disgusted feeling and I almost didn't buy my items but I drove 20 minutes, and not for nothing. I WISH the store management would look into teaching proper customer service and racial bias, or maybe they need that. For example, if it was the other way around and an Asian descent looking person walked into a black own store with black associates, I don't think anyone first thought would be Corona. That is Racist, Offensive, and purely disrespectful to the customer. Understable yet. read more

Before their merchandise is so nice and good but now its all cheap materials and made in china and charging you $0.20 for the bag

Lol 3 check ins in 7 days... we may have a problem here. Yes they have just about EVERYTHING. Some of it is garbage, but I'm a sucker for their cheap kitchen items and food. This store seems to be suffering from its own popularity- stuff I got on Saturday was sold out 3 days later, and again after that. Great addition to the neighborhood. read more

I love this store!!! i love daisos cute little knick knacks and most snacks are around 1.50- 2 dollars. But your employee Eric is really rude. read more

Visited on 05/01/16 around 10 am There was a small line out the the door because it was grand opening weekend. I entered the store, was given a basket, and I was surprised that it was this huge. This particular Daiso is bigger than anyone of the stores in the Bay Area besides the Union City location I believe. The store was clean, given that it was grand opening weekend and the store had just opened. This Daiso is a life saver for people living in the East Bay, as it would cut half an hour in traffic going to the Daiso store in Berkeley or anywhere in the Bay Area. The store had a huge selection of food and at the food section, there was this woman yelling "sale, sale, sample, sample!" for three varieties of tea, I was amused at this because mostly everything at Daiso is $1.50! And despite just opening, some items were out of stock, like some washi tape and though it was a huge store, some products weren't seen here, but seen at other stores. read more

What fun! This is essentially a Japanese dollar store, with tons of kawaii amidst the crap. I walked off with quite a haul for a mere $15.64. Since it's a 1/2-mile walk from our house, I know that my kids and I will be back! read more

One of the biggest daiso that I've been to! I live close to the berkeley store so I visit there the most often for convenience sake. But I love this place so much more! Well lit, spacious, friendly employees. Most importantly, they offer an amazing range of products and snacks! read more

I like Daiso and this place is okay. The young man that works there rang me up and just threw all my stuff inside the bag that I brought. He has an unforgettable name, but I won't mention it in this review. No customer service skills whatsoever. He should be happy he has a job. read more

A bunch of dollar store junk you pay more because it's from Japan instead of China . Rude cashiers . You have to beg for a bag ..

I bought a back pack at Daiso for my son, and it broke the first time he used it. I took it back to 2 days later Daiso but no longer had the receipt. They did absolutely nothing for me - didn't even offer to exchange it with another. Their "Japanese quality since 1972" is a huge fail. Don't shop there. read more

One of the best Daiso's I've been to. Everything is organized, the aisles don't seem as narrow as other locations, there's a private parking lot, and it's way less crowded. I always go to Daiso for snacks and some household necessities. Everything is so cute I always end up buying way more than I need. Glad I don't have to drive too far anymore to visit a Daiso. read more

This store is like a Japanese dollar store and carries some unique items for quite good prices. However, they have an absolutely no refunds and no exchange policy, which is very customer unfriendly and downright antagonistic to the customer. read more

I love Daiso's. I've been to this one, and before it frequented the following locations: SF Market Street Financial District, SF Mission District 16th Street, Telegraph Avenue, Berkeley. They all have essentially the same products (cute compact irresistible items that always has me spending about $30 more than intended...) but I've also noticed that some locations carry products others don't and this is why I go back & forth between the locations. I am happy to say so far this El Cerrito location is the most well stocked and largest store (2nd largest is the 16th Street SF Mission district location). I have found nearly all the products that used to keep me moving back and forth to multiple location except the compact lipstick brush. They still don't carry it at this location. I am super happy to have this location which totally omits my need to frequent Berkeley's smaller less stocked store. read more

One of my favorite shops . Always gives me a lot of surprises that I dont want to leave！

Love Daiso! I used to go to Alameda one! Now I don't have to go there lol my fav store XD

Love Daiso in general but have seen enough of them to notice how much they vary in selection & facility quality. This one is one of the most solid ones in the area, great selection with enough room so it's not too cramped or crowded, well stocked. I know Daiso has an issue with keeping all shelves full, probably due to the fact they have to wait for shipments overseas & it's so cheap people buy everything up. This Daiso had the least vacancies I've seen in awhile. Friendly staff. Lost a star just because I've seen a rise in more expensive items, but that's a corporate issue not this location. read more

I thought every item in the store is $1.50 unless otherwise noted. I picked up two items that I needed at that time. When I got to the cashier I was being charged for $3.84 including taxes. I asked him how it came up to $3.84? It turned out that one item was $2.00 even though nothing was noted on the shelves or on the item itself. I thought consumer should be aware of this practice, esp if we are buying a lt of items that we don't catch read more

I had a terrible experience RIGHT in this Daiso store weeks ago. I bought several items for my kitchen and one of them was defective. I didnot realized there was 'no return no refund' policy before I went back to get a exchange. Not even for a defective item! That's ridiculous! I was fine, it's only a dollar fifty, whatever, what am i supposed to expect from a 1.5dollar store? BUT, something happened when i was in that store annoyed me a lot. A girl claimed herself as an assistant manager was so RUDE! She refused to give me a refund/return, which was not that bad. She accused me of damaging that item! I do understand your policy of no return, but this rude attitude was really hurting. I'd never had this kind of customer service! No one deserves it! I just asked her name and left. I'd never come back again! She des not desert that title. Btw, her name is Ellie! read more

I had a great experience UNTIL I reached the register area. There was only one cashier working, and I was waiting a long time. When the cashier asked for assistance, a male employee with glasses started arguing with her in front of me and another customer. This was VERY unprofessional, it made me uncomfortable and I felt this was unfair towards the female employee who was just trying to do her job. Shame on you man with glasses!!!! read more