Daiso pricing chart puzzles shopper who says buying more items can cost more — but is it ‘unfair’?
Welcome to Stomping Ground — a space where Stompers share reflections, personal essays and social commentaries that spark conversation and insight.
A shopper was left confused after spotting what he felt was an “unfair” pricing structure at a Daiso outlet.
Stomper KH said he visited the Japanese retail chain’s store at VivoCity on March 30 and noticed a pricing chart showing how items priced in Japanese yen are converted into Singapore dollars.
“I am very puzzled by the pricing table displayed at the store,” he said.
“If I buy two items with the 500 yen price tag, I will be paying more Singapore dollars than one item with the 1,000 yen price tag. If I buy three of the 500 yen items, I will pay even more than a 1,500 yen price tag.
“What kind of pricing strategy is Daiso adopting? It is so unfair to the consumer.”
When asked if he ended up buying anything from the store, he said he did not after seeing the pricing table.
Based on the chart, a 500 yen item costs $9.59, while a 1,000 yen item costs $17.22.
This means buying two 500 yen items would cost $19.18, which is more than a single 1,000 yen item.
However, the pricing appears to be based on fixed conversion tiers rather than cumulative value.
Each yen category is individually converted to Singapore dollars, and prices are rounded accordingly. As a result, combining multiple lower-priced items may sometimes cost slightly more than purchasing one higher-priced item with the same total yen value.
Checks by Stomp at another Daiso outlet in Pasir Ris Mall showed the same pricing table, suggesting that the tiered conversion system is applied across stores.
Stomp has contacted Daiso Singapore for comment.
Have your say on Stomping Ground! Write to us at stomp@sph.com.sg or WhatsApp 9384 3761.
See something interesting? Contribute your story to us.
Explore more on these topics
