TESO Life, an Asian-focused retailer, opened its first Colorado department store earlier this month at The Gardens on Havana in Aurora.
The store, at 1150 S. Ironton St., sells a variety of items ranging from beauty products and snacks to home goods, toys, stationery and pet supplies. During its grand opening the weekend of Oct. 2, the store went viral on social media, drawing large crowds and long lines.
“Our Aurora location is one of our biggest yet,” a spokesperson for New York-based TESO Group, the store’s parent company, told The Post on Tuesday. The company said the Aurora store is around 25,000 square feet, nearly twice the size of most of its other stores.
“The grand opening celebration from Oct. 2 to 4 made it clear Aurora was the right place to begin, with Day 1 bringing a big turnout and long lines of shoppers eager to explore. Its vibrant, diverse community and position as a retail destination in the Denver metro make it a natural fit,” the statement said.
The area, particularly along South Havana Street, has become a retail artery with international flavor, ranging from halal markets to Mexican restaurants. It is perhaps best known for Aurora’s “Korea Town,” which continues to attract notable Asian businesses.
Recent additions include Taiwanese bakery chain 85°C Bakery Cafe, Chaton Bakery and Japanese retailer Daiso. Other business around the area are TOUS les JOURS, Ebisu Japanese Lifestyle Store, Korean Market and Convenience Store Seoul Station, Olive Me Studio, Katsu Ramen, Tofu Story, Shin Myung Gwan Korean BBQ, grocery giant H Mart and more.
At TESO on Monday evening, customers crowded the aisles, picking up melon-flavored sodas, browsing Korean skincare products and shaking several collectible mystery boxes.
One store employee said the store had been so busy that a whole shelf of the popular Sonny Angel and Smiski blind boxes had sold out.
“I just wanted everything honestly,” said customer and content creator Fiona Quiban, who spent a little more than two hours inside the store.
Quiban, 29, told The Post that the company invited her to help promote the grand opening. She also shared her experience on TikTok.
“I’ve been wanting more Asian products around Denver, especially nearby me,” she said.
“I love traveling, especially to Asia, and, like, it’s hard to find these products here in America, and having these products nearby in the Denver metro area is just amazing.”
She said TESO Life offers a convenient, affordable alternative to buying products online from Japan, Korea and other Asian countries, which can involve expensive shipping costs and long delivery times.
Theresa Tran, 24, described the store as similar to an “Asian Costco” and has visited at least twice, bringing her family and friends.
“I’m a Colorado native. I was born and raised here. I saw how we didn’t have many Asian stores when I was like a little kid, and now that we finally have that, it’s just so amazing,” Tran said.
The store’s size, product variety and number of shoppers surprised Tran, especially compared with a much smaller TESO Life location she visited in New York.
Tran, who also shared her experience with her more than 300,000 TikTok followers, said she spent about $300 on a haul of makeup, snacks and other goodies.
“Colorado needs more seasoning, and I’m happy that TESO Life is bringing that into the state,” she said.
TESO Life is open daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Founded in 2017, TESO Group is a New York-based retail company focused on bringing Asian products and culture to the U.S.
The company operates a growing portfolio of retail brands, including TESO Life, TESO X, TESO Mini, MONKIMON, O’HOMNI and ORIKEY.
TESO Group called its new Aurora location a “great success” and said it would love to open more locations in Colorado, though no concrete plans are in place yet.
Inside the TESO Life store at 1150 S. Ironton St. in Aurora. (Photo courtesy of TESO Group)
Inside the TESO Life store at 1150 S. Ironton St. in Aurora. (Photo courtesy of TESO Group)
Inside the TESO Life store at 1150 S. Ironton St. in Aurora. (Photo courtesy of TESO Group)
“We are keeping a close eye on opportunities across the region and will share more as soon as there’s something to report,” the company said.
Online users have also previously speculated that the company could be eyeing sites at 7000 W. Alameda Ave. in Lakewood and 10436 Town Center Dr. in Westminster.
By the end of 2026, TESO Group plans to operate 51 TESO Life stores across 18 U.S. states. The company also plans to open more than 300 stores across its retail brands by 2030.
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