Cha Lee came in search of stationery. Zeny Yang was stocking up on stickers. And Brandy White ticked off a lengthy wish list of goodies — from chopsticks to pencil sharpeners to kitchen utensils.

"I just need everything!" White said.

The three shoppers, and hundreds more, flocked to Crystal on Sunday afternoon to visit Daiso, a Japanese store celebrating its first location in Minnesota.

By all measures, it appeared to be a success: A long line of customers snaked around the red brick store all weekend as attendants let in a few people at a time. Social media posts showed people waiting for more than two hours to get in.

Inside, shoppers from Minneapolis, Plymouth, Brooklyn Park and more perused the 7,500-square-foot store, tossing products into plastic buckets. There were heart-shaped beads and plush pillows, palettes of shimmering eye shadow and matcha candy, crimped ceramic bowls and bronze-colored clothes hangers.

Though the goods ran the gamut, one thing united the disparate selection: low prices. Many items were priced below $5.

Eva Herscowitz
Daiso in Crystal sells a variety of items including stationary and cookware.

"I think it's really helpful to Minnesota, having very affordable things," said Yang, who got hooked on Daiso after her sister began bringing her candy and stationery from a Los Angeles store.

The company, which originated as a street vending shop, has about 185 stores across the United States, with a large portion of its locations in California and Arizona.

"We are thrilled to open our new store in Crystal," Jack Williams, chief retail operations officer for Daiso USA, said in a statement. "This milestone reflects the continued support of our customers, and we're excited to introduce Daiso's budget-friendly offerings to the Crystal community."

For plenty of shoppers this weekend, social media had generated buzz for Daiso long before they walked through the doors. Sneak peeks of the products hanging neatly on white shelves and the pink paper bags that departing customers clutched appeared on Lee's TikTok feed last week, prompting Lee to check out the place in person.

Others didn't need social media to alert them to the new location.

"People have been sending me stuff asking if I know about the opening," White said. "Like, duh!"

The Crystal store is Daiso's first, but not last, foray into the Minnesota suburbs. The company plans to launch locations in Woodbury and Maplewood this summer.

From chains like Daiso to K-pop super fan stores to family-owned grocers and food halls, stores that sell a large variety of Asian products have become more and more mainstream in the Twin Cities metro. And they keep growing.

Kukuri, a Japanese lifestyle store that sells snacks, stuffed animals, sweet drinks and more, opened in March at the Rosedale Center. It is the third metro location for parent company Ebisu.

In January, Eden Prairie Center welcomed China-based Miniso, which also opened a store at St. Cloud's Crossroads Center last year. Miniso's biggest draw is blind boxes, mystery collectibles that have become bestsellers in the U.S. after the trend first became popular in Asia.

In Crystal, many customers made an outing of the grand opening, arriving with friends and family in tow. Olivia Hanzak stood beside White on Sunday afternoon as the line inched forward, the pair eager to browse.

"I'm just excited to look around," Hanzak said, "and see what they got."

Megan Ryan of the Minnesota Star Tribune contributed to this story.