A national retailer known for stacking its shelves with Asian snacks, beauty products and home goods has planted its first North Carolina flag in Durham, with a second Triangle-area store already in the works for Cary. Teso Life, which bills itself as a lifestyle retailer specializing in Asian goods, is expanding into North Carolina with two stores in the region.
According to the Raleigh News & Observer, the Durham store opened on Oct. 31. The address given in that report is 14600 Durham-Chapel Hill Blvd., though Hey Durham lists the store's location as 4600 Durham-Chapel Hill Blvd., Suite 8 — a discrepancy that remains unresolved between the two accounts. Hey Durham reports the shop keeps daily hours from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., seven days a week, and stocks toys, crafts, drinks, snacks, frozen foods, skincare, beauty products, stationery and home goods under one roof.
A Second Stop Planned for Cary
Teso Life also plans to open a second Triangle-area store in Cary, according to the News & Observer, which reports the location will sit inside Crossroads Shopping Center at 2420 Walnut St. No opening date for the Cary store has been announced, per the same report. The Triangle Business Journal reports the Cary buildout covers 9,035 square feet and is valued at approximately $255,468.
Teso Life is also planning to open a location in Charlotte, the News & Observer notes, though further details on that store were not included in its report. The outlet says it reached out to Teso Life and will update its story once it hears back.
What's Actually Inside a Teso Life Store
Teso Life's stores lean on five core retail brands that, together, offer beauty products, toys, collectibles, household items, food and snacks, per the News & Observer's reporting. Teso X, the company's culture collection brand, sells blind boxes, figurines, building sets and plushies. Monkimon, the beauty-products brand, offers 33 beauty tools, while O'homini features more than 200 types of home and living products built around minimalist aesthetics and functionality.
The company also plans to introduce its Orikey snack brand in 2027. Orikey has said its snacks draw inspiration from Asia's bold, vibrant flavors and aim to bring exciting tastes and a fresh perspective to everyday snacking, adding that it hopes to connect Asian snacks with a new generation of consumers through energy, curiosity and discovery, according to the News & Observer. Teso Life has said it carefully selects premium Asian products and offers competitive pricing while maintaining quality. The Florida Times-Union, reporting on the chain's Jacksonville debut, notes Teso Life offers more than 20,000 authentic products, including cosmetics, imported snacks, home goods, plushies and everyday essentials.
A Fast-Growing National Footprint
Teso Life's parent, Teso Group, was founded in New York in 2017 and describes itself as a retail company focused on bringing Asian products and culture to the U.S. market. The company already operates stores in Georgia, Texas, Arizona, Illinois, Oregon, Florida and Nevada, according to the News & Observer. Per its own website, Teso Group plans to open 51 Teso Life stores across 18 states by the end of 2026, with a long-term goal of establishing more than 300 stores by 2030.
That growth has been visible well beyond the Triangle this year. FFXnow reported that the company had 33 locations listed as open on its website as of this past summer and was pursuing a second Virginia location in Seven Corners, inside a building formerly occupied by CVS, where renovation plans covering 12,535 square feet had not yet been approved by the county. In Boston, the Boston Globe reported the chain took over a former Forever 21 space in Downtown Crossing, spanning roughly 20,000 square feet across three floors. And in Florida, the Times-Union reported Teso Life opened its first Jacksonville location on July 10 at 9278 Arlington Expressway in the Regency area, marking the occasion with a three-day grand-opening celebration running through July 12.
