We were at Mid-Valley today for some grocery shopping as NSK was deemed a little too far away for a Sunday afternoon adventure. The first thing we noticed after coming out from the SouthPoint escalator was Don Don Donki. After a brief search on Facebook, apparently, it had opened its doors on the 31st of January this year, just about 9 days before the Chinese New Year. There were quite a number of people at the entrance but not enough to give me the impression it was crowded.
To be honest, I am not sure what to make of this place although it was touted to be a famous discount store. When I first heard about it, my impression was that it could be another Daiso competitor. Boy, was I wrong. Unlike Daiso, their price range varies from as little as a few Ringgit to just close to a hundred. But that was not the issue. The maze-like place is filled to the brim with a lot of... things. Things such as food, food and more food. You can find other stuff like make-up, and grooming accessories and some choice gashapons. But they are just a small selection in this crazy maze of a store.
Entering the Don Don Donki expecting to find the item you want (in this case, a tube of Wasabi and maybe, some nice Gashapons/ gadgets) can be very difficult because, um, how shall I describe the experience. OK, its like looking for something in a sea of other somethings which looked like it but was not it and at the same time, there were new somethings which you never expect to exist. Also, for a first impression, it was a little overwhelming and worse than my first time in Ikea, where there were a lot of people mingling around and no sign of nearby exits or even a quiet corner to escape in. Its no fun steering clear of people lest I bump or touch them. And that 'Don Don' jingle does get to you once you start to notice its existence after awhile. I find myself looking for the exit but more importantly, I need to find my Wife first.
Anyway, the (oveloading) experience lasted for about 30 minutes although I promised that we should just take a quick look earlier. On second thoughts, this place might not be suitable for my Generation but the one before (and my Kids) love them. Or maybe, its just me. I just cannot fathom why this place is so popular. If this was a store selling model kits and electronics from Japan, I would be in Heaven, lurking in there for hours. Sadly, it is not. Looking back, there were a few items I do not mind getting but they are certainly not wallet friendly for the budget conscious. The lights are uncomfortably bright in some areas and did I mention the 'Don Don Donki' jingle? It's starting to make me lose my focus and well, making me forget what I wanted to do in the first place. In the end, all I wanted was to get out of the store and leave the things behind.
Maybe I shall try again, hopefully during the time where there is less people around and with my (newly found) Bluetooth earphones on.
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| As soon as you come off the escalator, you can't miss this large shop (which I think, was formerly Guardian Pharmacy) |
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| At the entrance, the instant noodles on the left (RM4.90) and the Pringles-like chips on the right (RM5.90) looks like a good deal. |
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| This is a very small row of Gashapon machines. I don't think my Panoramic trick managed to make it look longer. |
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| The 1/72 Nissan Cefiro costs 4 tokens while the Zaku Head is 5, which (I remember) is cheaper than the time they were available years ago. |
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| The Gashapon token machine where 1 token costs RM5.00 and amazingly, for RM10.00, you get 2 tokens! What a bargain! |
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| I just Googled about Horse Oil and it does exist. You should do the same too. |
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| Various selection of drinks and on the right, is Asahi. |
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| I think it's a nose, sideburn and other facial hair trimmer. Sure, you can get them from Shopee or China for much cheaper but hey, Don Don Donki! |
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| They even have self-checkout (on the left) if the two manned counters are busy. |
