Miniso Edinburgh: "I went to the newest shop on Edinburgh's Princes Street and this is what I bought"

Indeed, when Miniso invited me along to the opening of their first Scottish store, I said yes immediately. Then, when they said I’d have a £50 voucher to spend, I whooped.

It was only after accepting that I thought, what the heck is Miniso anyway. It turns out it’s a Chinese retailer, which sells homewares and lifestyle goods.

It’s been around since 2015 and has over six thousand stores worldwide. Now they have one on Edinburgh’s 88 Princes Street, and a second coming to Glasgow soon.

Perhaps I’m the only one who’d never heard of them, as there was a queue building up outside on my insaugural visit.

They better brace themselves for retinal assault, as there’s a sensory overload of plushies, matcha-flavoured Kit-Kats, Barbie lunch boxes, Pez dispensers, Cinanomoroll cups, lip glosses, collectable characters and merch from the likes of Harry Potter, Pokemon and Hello Kitty.

So much pointless plastic, but I port my eco-credentials. It’s too late to worry about that anyway.

I grab a basket. This expedition will not be for me, but dedicated to my nephews and nieces. I have accrued a lot of them. Seven at the last headcount. And, at this time of year, there is a succession of birthdays. Auntie life is expensive.

Anyway, as long as they don’t read this, they won’t know that I cadged a freebie.

I’m not sure the 13 year old, whose birthday is next week, will be into much of this stuff. Her favourite shade is black. In Miniso, the prevailing shade is pink. Still, I picked her up a giant ombre multicoloured drinking bottle for about £6.99. She can paint it black if she doesn’t like it. And, a bottle of Dreamy Crystal perfume for a tenner. It smells like candyfloss. The scents in here are a bit like Victoria’s Secret dupes. All sugary and in pink bottles. She’ll love it, though I wish I hadn’t spritzed my wrist, because now I’m mutton stinking like lamb.

I start gravitating towards the Care Bears and Tamagotchi that are on sale, since I had them the first time round. Then, I remember, this is for the children.

The middle niece is 11, and she still likes a bit of colour and kawaii in her life. I choose a different drinking cup, with a cartoon bunny on it, and a plushie that’s a mushroom - a fly agaric I’d say - with rosie cheeks, both are around £6.99.

My five year old nephew gets the essential soft toy - a bear holding a hotdog. I noticed that’s in another shopper’s basket too. Excellent taste. I also grab him a Transformers Pez Dispenser and a Lilo and Stitch sleep mask.

After the most colourful of supermarket sweeps, I need a lie down.

At least I’ve only gone a tenner over the £50, despite the fact that I managed to resist a mid-life-crisis Care Bear.

Though, if he doesn’t want that kawaii mask, I might just keep it.

www.minisoshop.co.uk