Great Stuff You Never Knew You Needed

Japanese lifestyle retailer, MINISO opened its inaugural U.S. store along Colorado Blvd. in Old Town Pasadena a year ago, offering customers and moms a new, unique venue for retail therapy. If you visit, you’ll quickly understand why it has become a popular shopping destination.

Offering everything from cosmetics, home furnishings, electronics accessories and more, the Japanese variety store delivers designer-quality products, at very affordable prices.

Looking for Easter basket gifts for baby? They’ve got them. In search of a cooking utensil? Count on it. Your college kid needs a toaster? It’s there. MINISO delivers variety. Items are generally priced between $1.99–$20.

“Our target market is for all ages, but particularly for mothers, we create an environment where they can find everything from children’s items to skincare,” says Tiffa Lu, MINISO USA’s Product and Marketing Manager.  “Everything is very affordable. The diversity of our product categories also gives them the option of getting items that they didn’t know they might need.”

Walking through the aisles of MINISO, we discovered items that Los Angeles Moms would likely want to buy for themselves and their children, of all ages.

We broke it down by motherhood phase:

Moms Shopping for Themselves

Today’s modern mom will be delighted to learn MINISO offers a wide variety of items for everyday use that will tempt you to splurge without breaking the bank. From perfume and lipstick, to room deodorizers, leather gloves, purses, vanity mirrors and coin purses. It’s all there. Perhaps most appealing is the pricing. A bottle of nail polish goes for $0.99. Our favorite? A strapless, invisible, cleavage-inducing, backless and strapless bra called the MINISO New Stylish Bra.

Moms Shopping for Baby

There are enough items to make you go gaga at MINISO, especially when it comes to the store’s cute and carefully curated baby department. New moms can find soft plush toys, like baby blue penguins and bright ducky pillows for the nursery. There are also soft lamb-shaped wash cloths and baby travel pillows. Not to mention, there are plenty of cute decor items like minimalist-design table lamps in pastel colors, which are perfect for bedtime book reading.

Moms Shopping for Toddler/Small Kid

If you’re shopping for last-minute Easter basket gifts, we’ve got great news. One trip to MINISO will help you find several unique and one-of-a-kind toys. These include animal shaped building blocks, puzzles, cars and even shower scrubs with animal heads. You can purchase treats, like Japan’s popular Hi-Chews (think of Starburst just chewier and bolder fruit flavors) or the crunchy, chocolatey Pocky Sticks which are becoming everyone’s favorite sweet snack. You can also find hair ties with bows, flowers and other embellishments for little girls to feel girly.

Moms Shopping for Tween/Teen

We’re not sure if the smartphone lenses on sale for $1.99 would be more popular than the blush-toned baseball caps. What we do know is that teenagers will take selfies using either and MINISO planned for that. That’s why they also offer iPhone 2-in-1 chargers, Smart grip phone ring brackets, small power banks to charge your favorite electronics and ultra-slim Bluetooth headsets. Plus, MINISO acquired rights to manufacture a collection of Pink Panther plush toys for the teenager in your life that loves to be both classic and sneaky.

Moms Shopping for College Kid

Give a college kid some toast and he’ll eat for a day. Give a college kid a toaster and he’ll eat for a semester…or something like that. The MINISO store in Pasadena offers a variety of small kitchen appliances and dorm-ready items including toasters and coffee makers. There are also eating and cooking utensils, kitchen towels, stationery, a large collection of marker pens, notebooks and even shower scrubs, shower sandals, face wash, small backpacks and snacks. In other words, a one stop shop for your studious adult child.

Established in September 2013 by Miyake Junya, chief designer and Ye Guofu, chief executive officer, MINISO arrived as an industry disruptor, combining fashion, lifestyle and low prices. The company has signed agreements in more than 40 countries and regions, including the U.S., Canada, Russia, Singapore, Dubai, Korea, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Macao.

There are currently eleven MINISO stores in Southern California including: Pasadena, Lakewood, Santa Ana, Arcadia, Santa Barbara, Riverside, West Covina, Bakersfield, Moreno Valley, Temple City, and Hollywood.

MINISO attributes its rapid growth to a combination of thoughtfully designed, quality products and a unique shopping experience with broad appeal, especially among savvy Millennial shoppers. The company launches new products every seven days.