
As part of the "Visit Donki 2011" campaign aimed at attracting foreign visitors to its shops, Don Quijote has appointed Hello Kitty as an International goodwill Ambassador. In the first nine months of this calendar year, the store has seen sales of tax exempt goods and sales through its Ginren Card aimed at Chinese visitors - together a proxy for business with non-residents - rise 2 1/2 times compared with last year. Consequently, the company has focused more attention on developing this niche. Hello Kitty will be used along with Don Quijote's own penguin mascot Donpen on discount vouchers which will be distributed around nearby hotels. A spokesman said they are also looking at ways to attract tourists to their shops late at night. One visiting pair of foreigners probably wish they hadn't gone along at 1:00am.