Heading out to the beach? The Don Don Donki Village of Donki has your needs covered. Need fresh fruits and vegetables? The Village of Donki has got that covered too. With an assortment of Japanese and American products, it’s a one-stop shop for the entire family, according to store management.
Days ahead of the grand opening on Thursday, The Guam Daily Post was able to tour the 247,000 square feet that make up the “unique shopping environment,” of the Village of Donki.
“Our company motto is customers matters most. So everything we have set up, the design element of it all goes through a thorough vetting with the team. Then our experience with 700 locations helps us to allow customers to navigate and to have the best experience they can have,” Charles McJohn, mall manager for the Village of Donki, told the Post.
The tour began with the Don Don Donki Store, which took attendees through the souvenir section filled with Guam merchandise, chocolates and knickknacks, before transitioning into outdoor and automotive, then the Deli section, seafood, meat and grocery section before wrapping around to the food court.
“It’s just amazing. It’s a huge facility, and you got all the different kinds of products that you don’t see at the other markets here. I really love it, it’s great. Even my wife was telling me, ‘Man, it’s so huge,'” said Tony Charfauros, a Tamuning Municipal Planning Council Member who was one of the first few allowed to attend the soft opening on Monday.
And the prices are affordable, according to his wife, Rose Charfauros.
“A lot of cheap prices. A lot of snacks,” Rose said. “It’s a big market.”
While Rose was excited about the restaurants, Tony was excited about the groceries.
Don Don Donki offered a wide assortment of Japanese products, bringing a little bit of Japan to Guam.
“Our most popular would be the Japanese sweet potato, which we serve roasted. It’s very, very popular if you go to one of our Don Don Donkis. But we also have Japanese snacks, Asian foods, and a significant amount of meats and seafood, which is very original and sourced in Japan and brought to Guam for a great price,” McJohn said.
In the U.S. groceries section, the price for a can of Spam is $2.99, and there is an assortment of flavors to choose from.
“See that? Nobody is going to beat that price,” McJohn said.
Don Don Donki even has a specialty-sized canned Ox and Palm corned beef for $3.99.
Over in the fresh fruits and vegetables, the Japanese sweet potato costs $3.49 a pound.
There"s also Japanese Strawberries for $7.99 a package.
McJohn said their unique network helps to keep prices down.
“We do have multiple distribution centers, and we do have a network within our 700 stores. That’s not just Japan, that’s also inclusive of Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong, Macao, Malaysia, Hawaii and California. So with that network, we become sort of a major mesh of where we can source different things and bring it into the island,” McJohn said.
That means while they feature Japanese products, it’s not the only country that their products are sourced from.
“You have stuff that’s U.S., that’s not from Japan, (like) Popeye’s spinach. We have brand names (like) Dole bananas. … We combine our networks to get the best price possible from our distributors,” McJohn said.
He said the inexpensive prices and variety of products make Don Don Donki a one-stop shop for the entire family.
“Absolutely. From kid's toys to cute items for your preteen daughter to kitchenwares and (an) outdoor adventure section for dad, health and beauty for mom and groceries for the whole family, I think there’s something for everyone,” McJohn said.
According to McJohn, variety, volume and price make Don Don Donki Village of Donki a competitor.
“I think all of those things combine (to) make it very attractive for people and what benefits the most people on Guam is good for everyone, I think,” McJohn said.
The opening of Don Don Donki has created 430 new jobs for island residents, and they are still looking to fill the remaining positions.
"That’s not inclusive of all of the local companies that we’ve hired, (like) security, janitorial, landscaping, construction and (information technology). So I think all in all, it's maybe in the thousands," McJohn said.
On Monday, Don Don Donki Village of Donki hosted a soft opening ceremony and provided an opportunity for the media to tour the facility. The grand opening of the store is set for Thursday.
