If you ask me, part of what made school fun was school supply shopping. That meant picking out pencil cases, lunch boxes, health kit pouches printed with my favorite Sanrio character: Hello Kitty! As a young kid, I was also fond of collecting stationery items and stickers. Little Twin Stars, Keroppi, and My Melody were always my top choices, and I would always have new ones every week. While other kids tugged their parents to toy stores, I tugged mine to Gift Gate. From headbands, watches, handkerchiefs, and even hair brushes, my mom and I collected anything Hello Kitty.
I don't think my mom or I will ever outgrow loving Sanrio characters, but as years went by, online shopping became more popular and convenient. Thus, our visits to Gift Gate became less frequent, then no more. And with the decline of foot traffic to the once-beloved Gift Gate stores, they went under the radar the past years, and cementing their quiet rest is the closing down of their first ever branch in San Juan City. Sad. Really sad.
ABS-CBN reports that the last Gift Gate store in the Philippines will be having a closing out sale to clear out the remaining Sanrio products on their shelves.
News reporter Julius Babao uploaded the video above, captioning the Instagram post, "Established in 1976, Gift Gate was the go-to destination for those fans of Sanrio staples Hello Kitty, My Melody, and Little Twin Stars. But once the popularity of those cartoon characters waned, apparently so did sales."
The said branch will officially close its doors on May 31.
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