“A windbreaker for 5,000 won—is this for real?” After cosmetics, Daiso Industries is betting on fashion

[The Financial News] "All that’s left now is for Daiso Industries to start selling cars and houses."
People joke about it online, but the line also captures just how much Daiso has come to dominate everyday life. Daiso Industries has already moved beyond supplements and cosmetics, and is now expanding its clothing lineup as it pushes into the fashion market.
According to Asung Daiso, the number of clothing items sold at Daiso stores has been steadily increasing, from around 270 at the end of 2023 to about 300 at the end of 2024, and is projected to reach roughly 700 by the end of 2025. As of late February this year, the assortment was already around 700 items, and the company plans to roll out many new apparel products over the remaining seasons of the year.
Daiso began seriously expanding its clothing range over the past three to four years. In 2022, it introduced Easy Wear, sportswear, and homewear, then followed up with functional apparel such as the "Easy Cool" line for summer and "Easy Warm" for winter, drawing attention from shoppers. Building on that momentum, the company launched its "Casual Lightweight Series" in March this year, winning praise for combining functionality with design.
In particular, the Casual Lightweight Series released in March includes a nylon lightweight zip-up windbreaker, a hooded zip-up windbreaker, a women's cropped windbreaker, and nylon straight-leg pants. With this lineup, Daiso has moved beyond its previous focus on cooling innerwear and loungewear to further broaden its apparel categories. On the 25th, it also collaborated with the original K-fashion brand Basic House to launch four styles of 100% cotton T-shirts, each priced at 5,000 won.
The key driver behind the popularity of Daiso’s clothing is, unsurprisingly, its price competitiveness. Most of the apparel items Daiso releases are sold at the chain’s top price point of 5,000 won, and observers say they are hard to beat on price compared with similar products on the market. Consumers, who have been hesitant to spend amid high inflation, are finding that their demand for practical, value-conscious purchases aligns perfectly with Daiso’s ultra-low-price strategy, producing strong results.

The expansion of clothing categories has translated directly into higher sales. According to Daiso, apparel sales in 2023 were about 160% higher than in 2022. They then grew by roughly 34% in 2024 compared with 2023, and by about 70% in 2025 versus 2024. In January this year, clothing sales jumped about 180% year-on-year, and in February they were up around 140%, showing that the upward trend is continuing.
News1 Korea has reported that Daiso, which has already gained a strong foothold in the beauty market, is pursuing a similar expansion strategy in fashion. The company grew its cosmetics lineup from about 60 brands and 500 items at the end of 2024 to around 150 brands and 1,400 items in just one year, successfully establishing itself in the beauty sector.
A fashion industry insider said, "Given that Daiso’s clothing lineup has expanded to around 700 items and sales are on the rise, the company may be trying to cultivate apparel as a new growth engine." The insider added, "However, from the standpoint of brand competitiveness built primarily on value for money, there may be limits to how far it can expand the market, so this will be something to watch."
bng@fnnews.com Kim Hee-sun Reporter