By Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)
Daiso Canada rebranded as OOMOMO a year ago, and this company sells Japanese daily living necessities. This place is my go to place whenever I’m on the mainland, and with this year being what it is, I haven’t headed there until recently. I often go there to buying media storage products in bulk and affordable replacement screen protectors. Now, they have a few other items on my list that I’m glad to stock up on.
There are eight locations across Canada. I’m amused three are in Vancouver. Aberdeen Centre is their biggest store, and it’s almost fully operational. Their e-shop is running, and shoppers can stop by to pick up their orders. I’m glad they’re taking the pandemic seriously. But when they allow regular shopping and wandering the aisles, the search for Sanrio products begins!
Two other locations include Metropolis at Metrotown Shopping Mall and Lougheed Town Centre. They’re even harder to get to when considering I use the public transit system whenever I’m in Vancouver. I’m more often there for a convention or special event, but that’s not going to happen anytime in the remainder of this year and perhaps most of next. I prefer this operation over Walmart for daily essentials. My hope and all I can ask is if they can set up shop in Victoria.
It’s been a year since this company (now partnered with local conglomerate Fairchild Group) made this announcement, and I hope they’re listening. Their influence on Vancouver Island seems small despite having influence in other metro centres, namely Calgary and Toronto.
The capital of British Columbia has its fair share of an Asian population and there is one space I can see them move into, namely the big one Sears vacated at Hillside Centre.
Perhaps to get this business on this island, we can start a petition and get them to notice us on Facebook @OomomoBC
