Whether it’s a lychee fruit-flavored treat, a pastel plushie or sponges in cartoon packaging, Medford shoppers will soon find a new source for inexpensive goodies that spark joy.

Daiso, a discount variety store based out of Hiroshima, Japan, and rapidly expanding across the United States, will open the doors to its 8,500-square-foot location at 513 Medford Center near Tinseltown, occupying what once was part of Sears and transforming it into a Japanese dollar store filled with brightly colored items.

Paige Ely, the Oregon area manager for Daiso, highlighted the wide variety of items shoppers will find at the new store, including Sanrio and Hello Kitty stickers, unique stationery, cat shaped sleeping masks and stuffed plushies.

“The whole store is basically one big stocking stuffer,” Ely said, adding that there’s “definitely something for everyone.”

Cat-themed items are particularly popular with shoppers at the moment, Ely said. She highlighted multiple items on shelves featuring Maru — the Japanese Scottish Fold cat holding the Guinness World Record for most YouTube video views of an individual animal.

“He’s very popular on TikTok,” Ely said.

Their plush toys are made exclusively for the chain, which has about 5,300 stores in 25 countries.

The shop is sure to become a destination for snackers looking for something adventurous. One popular snack, according to Ely, were Meiji Chocorooms, mushroom-shaped snacks that have crispy cracker stems and chocolatey caps.

Tea drinkers can find unique kinds such as kelp tea and green tea varieties.

The savory snack aisle included Shirakiku Curvee Puff corn snacks in flavors such as sea salt umami or cheese, along with Calbee potato chips in pizza flavor. She pointed to a line of Tohatu baked potato snacks with Japanese writing all over the package.

“Anything that has this Japanese on the label is a big seller for us,” Ely said. 

Medford is the second Daiso location to open in the state. The Hillsboro store — Oregon’s first — opened in July.

More locations in the state are on the horizon. Next on her list is a Gresham store slated to open in March 2025, and she said more locations in Oregon are being planned pending real estate deals.

“Gresham will not be the last,” Ely said.

The family owned company was founded in 1972, and expanded into the United States in 2005, according to a press release about the store’s grand opening. Presently the chain has 164 stores in eight states.

As of Monday afternoon, a Facebook event Daiso USA arranged for the Medford grand opening had listed 179 people as “going” to the grand opening and more than 1,500 people who marked themselves “interested.”

For its grand opening, on Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 21 and 22, the store will give goodie bags on each day to the first 100 customers who make a minimum $30 purchase at the store. 

Ely described store grand openings as social media sensations that typically draw long lines and crowds. At the Hillsboro grand opening in July, for example, Ely said one person brought a grill.

“There’s always a line,” Ely said.

Once open, store hours will be Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., according to a release from the company. For more information see daisous.com.