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10 great holiday gifts you can find at San Francisco’s Stonestown Galleria

People walking the aisle of Daiso while shopping.
Customers shop at Daiso in Stonestown Galleria in San Francisco on Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2023. | Source: Juliana Yamada for The Standard

Stonestown Galleria, an increasingly popular mall located on the city’s southwest side, has garnered media attention recently as many new shops have come in while Downtown malls are struggling with retail vacancies. Asian businesses, particularly Japanese shops, are thriving in the mall, too, driven by the large Asian populations in neighborhoods on the west side and down the Peninsula.

Here are The Standard’s Stonestown gift recommendations for everyone on your list.

Nougat Candy in a Cow-Shaped Box

A box of nougat candy and other holiday gifts.
A cow-shaped box of nougat candy at 85°C costs $19. | Source: Han Li/The Standard

At the popular Taiwanese bakery 85°C, customers routinely line up for fresh sweet tarts, marble taro buns and boba tea. But the shop also has holiday gift options like nougat candy, a classic chewy milk candy with roasted almonds in it. Not to mention, the package box is a cute dairy cow.

📍 85°C Bakery Cafe

💰 $19.00

San Francisco Landmarks on Kids’ Clothes

Kids clothes in different colors at a store.
Kids' clothes at the Handmade in CA store have local landmarks printed on them. | Source: Han Li/The Standard

What’s the best way to instill some local pride in today’s younger generations? Let them wear the Golden Gate Bridge and Sutro Tower! Handmade in CA, a gift and clothing store that stocks tons of locally made items, has a kids’ section selling clothes printed with the city’s landmarks, along with a wide selection of bilingual and multicultural books. Don’t miss the Muni-themed adult clothes, either.

📍 Handmade in CA

💰 $25-$40

Sleeping Panda Plushies

Toys and plushies on shelf at a store
Miniso in Stonestown has a variety of animal plushies. | Source: Han Li/The Standard

Walk through the aisles at Miniso, a Chinese brand that sells affordable gifts, you can see a variety of colorful stuffed fruits and animals, which are perfect for anyone of any age. You have plenty of options to choose from, ranging from watermelons to sleeping pandas.

📍 Miniso

💰 $15

Edible Paper

Different candies shown at a store.
Edible paper candy and other candies are displayed at Lolli & Pops. | Source: Han Li/The Standard

Who hasn’t had to eat their words from time to time? Lolli & Pops’ “Write and Eat Candy Paper” is good for spy-themed parties as you can write down your secretive notes to others — and they can just eat it after reading it, so no one else will ever know what you write.

📍 Lolli & Pops

💰 $7-$10

Customized T-Shirts

Customania owner, Shoka, stands in front of a wall of customed T-shirts at his store in San Francisco on Monday.
Customania owner, Shoka, stands in front of a wall of customed T-shirts at his store in San Francisco on Monday. | Source: Han Li/The Standard

In less than 20 minutes, you can have a brand new T-shirt with whatever you want printed on it—including an image of a group of friends or your family. Customania, located on the mall’s second floor, can bring any special moment to life.

📍 Customania

💰 $25 and up

That Viral Uniqlo Crossbody Bag

A mannequin wears a brown crossbody bag
The Uniqlo crossbody bag has gone viral on social media earlier this year. | Source: Han Li/The Standard

You may have read some articles or seen the TikTok review videos about the Uniqlo shoulder bag, which has been among the hottest products from the trendy Japanese brand all year. And if you bought one months ago, take another peek because there are new color options.

📍 Uniqlo

💰 $19.90

Anime Toy From Robo Shop

The Pop Mart Robo Shop is installed on the wall at Stonestown Galleria.
The Pop Mart Robo Shop is installed on the wall at Stonestown Galleria. | Source: Han Li/The Standard

If you have a friend who’s an anime fan, check out this cool Pop Mart Robo Shop, which sells many figurines and small toys from the beloved Japanese medium. Best of all, they’re already packaged to be presented as gifts.

📍 Pop Mart Robo Shop

💰 $15.99

Japanese Snacks

The strawberry- and matcha-flavored snacks are listed as $8 each at Daiso.
The strawberry- and matcha-flavored snacks are listed as $8 each at Daiso. | Source: Han Li/The Standard

On the shelves of Daiso, the irresistible Japanese chain famous for its affordable prices, you can always find some unique flavors of Pocky. Fancy-packaged snacks, like strawberry or matcha-flavored cookies, are always great stocking stuffers. 

📍 Daiso

💰 $2.50-$8

Sparkling Bellini Scented Candles

Selected scented candles in octahedral box.
Selected scented candles are on sale at Typo. | Source: Han Li/The Standard

At Typo, a store that sells a variety of gift items, scented candles are beautifully presented in an octahedral box. And the scents themselves can be downright fascinating, from passion fruit colada to sparkling bellini. 

📍 Typo

💰 Three for $15

A Movie Theater Gift Card

Regal Cinemas’ gift cards  on a shelf.
Regal Cinemas’ gift cards are on sale for Black Friday. | Source: Han Li/The Standard

When all else fails, there’s always the movies. Stonestown’s relatively new Regal Cinemas screens all the latest flicks, and gift cards are on sale for Black Friday, too. For every $50 you spend, you get a $10 bonus.

📍 Regal Cinemas

💰 Any denomination