Don Quijote (store)

Don Quijote Co., Ltd.

Company type	Public (Kabushiki gaisha)
Industry	Retail (discount stores)
Predecessor	Just Co.
Founded	September 1, 1980 (1980-09-01) in Suginami, Tokyo, Japan
Founder	Takao Yasuda
Headquarters	Tokyo , Japan
Area served	Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Thailand, Taiwan, Macau, Guam, United States (Hawaii)
Key people	Edwin Sawai (President of Don Quijote (USA) Co., Ltd.)
Products	Groceries, electronics, apparel, and various other merchandise
Website	www.donki.com

Overview

Don Quijote Co., Ltd. (Japanese: 株式会社ドン・キホーテ, kabushiki gaisha Don Kihōte), commonly known by its abbreviated name Donki (ドンキ), is a prominent Japanese discount retail chain. The stores offer an extensive variety of merchandise, ranging from everyday groceries to electronics and apparel. A hallmark of Donki outlets is their extended operating hours, often remaining open late into the night or even operating around the clock. Their unique retail approach features densely packed shelves that utilize vertical space extensively, creating a distinctive shopping environment.

By 2021, Donki operated more than 160 locations across Japan and maintained three stores in Hawaii. Beyond Japan, the brand Don Don Donki has established a presence with seventeen outlets in Singapore, eleven in Hong Kong, four in Malaysia, eight in Thailand, five in Taiwan, two in Macau, and one in Guam.

History

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Exterior view of the Don Quijote building located in Roppongi

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Don Quijote store in the Akihabara district

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Don Quijote premises in Shinjuku

Origins

Takao Yasuda established the company that would become Don Quijote, launching its inaugural outlet in Suginami, Tokyo in September 1980 under the name Just Co. Initially operating as a retail business, Just Co. transitioned to wholesale activities by 1982.

The first store branded as "Don Quijote" opened in March 1989 in Fuchu, Tokyo. This rebranding accompanied a shift from wholesale to retail operations. It was only in 1995, six years after this change, that Just Co. officially adopted the Don Quijote Co., Ltd. corporate name. The company went public on the Tokyo Stock Exchange in June 1998.

As one of Japan's prominent discount retailers, Don Quijote weathered the aftermath of the Japanese economic bubble without significant setbacks. In fact, the economic downturn encouraged consumers to adopt more frugal spending habits, which contributed to increased sales throughout the 1990s and early 2000s.

In 2005, the idol group AKB48 established their theater on the eighth floor of the Don Quijote Akihabara Outlet in Tokyo. That same year, a Ferris wheel was installed on the facade of Don Quijote’s Dōtonbori branch in Osaka.

In October 2007, Don Quijote acquired the struggling Nagasakiya chain for 140 billion yen. However, this chain along with three other affiliated companies ceased operations in October 2017 after creditors withdrew support for their combined debt totaling 432 billion yen. Meanwhile, creditors continue to provide financial backing for the remaining group entities.

On June 28, 2017, PAQ, which operated Honolulu-based supermarkets including Times, Big Save, and Shima under its subsidiary QSI, Inc., announced it had agreed to sell its portfolio of 24 stores in Hawaii to Don Quijote (USA), headquartered in Honolulu. The transaction was finalized during the third quarter of 2017 through a stock purchase agreement. This acquisition merged Times stores with three existing Don Quijote outlets and two Marukai locations on Oahu. Edwin Sawai, president of Don Quijote (USA) Co., Ltd. and Marukai Hawaii Co. Ltd., expressed enthusiasm about integrating the Times Supermarket team into their organization, emphasizing a commitment to collaboration and mutual growth to better serve Hawaii’s community. He also highlighted Times Supermarket’s longstanding presence and significance in Hawaii’s retail landscape over more than six decades.

Singapore

Don Quijote made its entry into Southeast Asia by launching its inaugural store in Singapore at Orchard Central on December 1, 2017. Due to the Don Quijote brand name being already claimed by a local eatery, these outlets operate under the name "Don Don Donki." Following this, the company inaugurated a second branch at the 100AM Mall located in Tanjong Pagar on June 14, 2018. Currently, Singapore hosts 17 Don Don Donki outlets, making it the country with the highest number of stores outside Japan.

The list of locations includes:

• 100 AM
• Bukit Panjang Plaza
• City Square Mall
• Clarke Quay Central
• Downtown East
• HarbourFront Centre
• Jem
• Jewel Changi Airport
• Jurong Point
• Northpoint City
• Orchard Central
• Paya Lebar Quarter
• Square 2
• Suntec City
• Tampines 1
• Tiong Bahru Plaza
• Waterway Point

Notably, Yasuda, the founder, resides in Singapore, specifically on Sentosa Island.

Hong Kong

File:HK 中環 Central 皇后大道中 100 Queen's Road Central shop Don Don Donki n Chiyu Banking May 2021 SS2 01.jpg

Don Don Donki located in Central, Hong Kong

Don Don Donki established its presence in Hong Kong with five stores: one situated at Mira Place 2 in Tsim Sha Tsui, another at OP Mall within Tsuen Wan, one more at Pearl City in Causeway Bay, an outlet at 100 Queen's Road Central in Central, and a branch at Monterey Place in Tseung Kwan O. In February 2021, the retailer launched an additional store inside Island Resort Mall located in Siu Sai Wan, followed by the opening of a location at TMT Plaza in Tuen Mun in July 2021. The Amoy Plaza store in Jordan Valley began operations in January 2022, and another outlet was inaugurated at Fashion World within Whampoa Garden in August 2022. The company further expanded with the opening of its Mong Kok branch in 2024.

Thailand

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The first Don Don Donki branch in Thailand, located in Thonglor

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Don Don Donki store at MBK Center, visible from the footbridge connecting to National Stadium BTS station

Presently, Thailand hosts seven operational Don Don Donki outlets. Two branches have been closed, and one is scheduled to open later this year.

Branch name	Opening date	Closing date	Location	District	Province	Remarks
Thonglor	22 February 2562	currently operational	Donki Mall Thonglor	Watthana	Bangkok
The Market Bangkok	31 March 2563	4 September 2565	The Market Bangkok	Pathum Wan		Closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic; operations relocated to MBK Center
Seacon Square	1 October 2564	currently operational	Seacon Square	Prawet
MBK Center	21 December 2564		MBK Center	Pathum Wan
Seacon Bangkae	20 June 2565		Seacon Bangkae	Phasi Charoen
Si Racha	9 September 2565		J-Park Sriracha Nihon Mura	Si Racha district	Chonburi
Si Lom	23 January 2566		Thaniya Plaza	Bang Rak	Bangkok
Fashion Island	20 October 2566		Fashion Island	Khan Na Yao
Bang Kapi	24 November 2566	12 May 2568	The Mall Lifestore Bangkapi	Bang Kapi		Operations transferred to Seacon Square and Fashion Island locations.
Central WestGate	Q4 2568	opening soon	Central WestGate	Bang Yai	Nonthaburi

Taiwan

The inaugural Don Don Donki outlet in Taiwan launched on 19 January 2021, situated within the Ximending Shopping District of Taipei, during the ongoing coronavirus crisis. This three-level store operates around the clock and is conveniently positioned close to Ximen metro station. Its grand opening drew over 500 customers who queued outside in anticipation.

A year later, on 20 January 2022, the second Taiwanese Don Don Donki store commenced operations in Taipei’s Zhongxiao Xinsheng commercial area. This single-floor subterranean store spans approximately 1,540 square meters (16,500 square feet) and is located near the Zhongxiao Xinsheng metro station. Alongside the main retail space, four specialty booths featuring Japanese cuisine debuted: MOCHI-MOCHI (offering freshly prepared mochi), Inari Sushi Tamaya (specializing in Inari sushi), Kondo (providing Japanese Wagyu beef skewers), and Color Food and Fitness (selling seasonal Japanese fruit daifuku).

The third Taiwanese branch opened its doors on 22 August 2023 at Citylink Nangang in Taipei.

On 9 November 2023, the fourth Don Don Donki location began serving customers at Tiger City in Taichung. Covering roughly 1,800 square meters (20,000 square feet), this store currently holds the title of the largest Don Don Donki in Taiwan.

The fifth Taiwanese store debuted on 7 December 2023 inside Talee Department Store in Kaohsiung. Boasting nearly 3,000 square meters (32,000 square feet), it stands as the biggest Don Don Donki in Taiwan to date. The opening event attracted close to 2,000 visitors. This outlet features three distinct zones: Outdoor, dedicated to outdoor merchandise; Donki Sake, focused on Japanese sake selections; and Cocokawaii, offering a variety of kawaii products.

Malaysia

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Don Don Donki at Lot 10

The inaugural Don Don Donki outlet in Malaysia commenced operations on 19 March 2021 within Lot 10, situated in Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur, under the brand name "Jonetz by Don Don Donki". A subsequent store launched on 9 December 2021 at Tropicana Gardens Mall, located in the Petaling Jaya area of Selangor. This location was notable for being the largest in Southeast Asia, covering an area of 42,243 square feet across two floors. This outlet ceased operations permanently on 31 May 2023. Initially planned to open at Mitsui Shopping Park LaLaport in Bukit Bintang City Centre during 2022, the third store instead debuted at Sunway Pyramid on 28 October 2022. Following this, a fourth branch began service at Mid Valley Megamall on 31 January 2024, and a fifth opened its doors at NU Sentral on 14 June 2024. The company also announced intentions to establish eleven additional outlets by June 2024.

Macau

Don Don Donki made its entry into Macau by opening its first retail location on 9 September 2021 in the Fai Chi Kei district. Subsequently, on 2 February 2024, another store was inaugurated within Studio City, positioned along the Cotai Strip in Macau.

Guam

Following a groundbreaking ceremony in February 2020, Don Don Donki planned to debut a store in the village of Tamuning, Guam, under the designation Village of Donki, originally scheduled for September 2021. The store officially opened its doors on 25 April 2024.

Mascot

Don Quijote's official mascot is known as Donpen (ドンペン), a blue penguin character introduced in 1998. Donpen is typically illustrated wearing a Santa hat and displays the Katakana character ド ("do") prominently on his belly. For Don Quijote's international outlets branded as Don Don Donki, this symbol is substituted with the letter "D". The brand also features a female counterpart named Donko (ドンコ), who is pink and adorned with a heart on her stomach.

In December 2022, the company sparked debate when it revealed plans to replace Donpen with a new anthropomorphized version of the Katakana "do" called Dojou-chan. However, following significant public backlash and widespread support for the original mascot on social media platforms, this change was quickly retracted within days.

Theme song

The theme song associated with Don Quijote is titled "Miracle Shopping" (MIRACLE SHOPPING〜ドン・キホーテのテーマ〜), performed by Maimi Tanaka (田中マイミ), who previously worked at a Don Quijote store. This track was officially released as a maxi single in 1999 under Grace Notes Records.

For its overseas stores, Don Don Donki uses versions of this theme song in various languages including English, Mandarin, Cantonese, and Thai, tailored to the local market. The tune retains the "Don Don Donki" branding across these adaptations.

Critics have described the song as "catchy but annoying" and "highly repetitive yet cleverly crafted," reflecting its intentional design to embed itself in listeners’ minds, ensuring constant brand recall.

Commercial endorsements and partnerships

In August 2024, American singer-songwriter Bruno Mars teamed up with the retail chain to feature in their newest advertising campaign. Mars, alongside dancers Miyu, Haruka, Miyuri, and Miku, as well as the store mascot Donpen, performed a dance routine throughout the Mega Don Quijote location in Shibuya, while selecting items from the store's "People Brand 'Jōnetsu kakaku'" collection. Mars was responsible for composing the jingle and overseeing production of the commercial for the "Donki Ikuyo" (ドンキイクヨ; literally "Let's Go to Donki") initiative. Beyond the advertisement, this collaboration included a limited-edition release of exclusive merchandise available in September. Mars also shared the advertisement through a reel on his Instagram profile.

Incidents

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A street-level view of the Roppongi roller coaster located atop Don Quijote

Arson

In December 2004, four stores within the Kantō were impacted by deliberate fire attacks. The initial arson event resulted in the deaths of three employees: Morio Oshima (39), Mai Koishi (20), and Maiko Sekiguchi (19). In 2007, Noriko Watanabe, then aged 49, was convicted for igniting these fires and received a life imprisonment sentence. At that time, Don Quijote faced significant criticism due to store designs that complicated evacuation routes.

Roller coaster

In 2005, Don Quijote initiated the construction of a "half-pipe" roller coaster atop its eight-level Roppongi location. Situated in a densely populated district at Tokyo’s heart, Roppongi residents and local businesses expressed strong opposition to the roller coaster plan, citing concerns about the potential disturbances from noise, crowds, and visual impact. Although the installation was finalized in 2006, mounting objections from community groups prevented it from ever becoming operational. By 2019, the structure had been dismantled.

Overseas assets

In 2013, Don Quijote acquired the Marukai Japanese chain store network in the United States and subsequently divided it into two separate entities: Marukai and Tokyo Central Markets.

In popular culture

Don Quijote outlets feature prominently as in-game retail locations within the Yakuza video game series. In 2009, Sega collaborated with Don Quijote to promote the launch of Yakuza 3.

Additionally, a scene set inside a Don Quijote store appears in TONIKAWA: Over the Moon to You, specifically during the second episode of its initial season, depicting characters Nasa and Tsukasa shopping.

External links

• Official website