noun
cheap candy store; penny candy shop
A small, often old-fashioned shop selling inexpensive sweets and snacks, typically aimed at children. The term evokes a nostalgic, neighborhood feel.
子供の頃、よく駄菓子屋でお菓子を買った。
When I was a child, I often bought snacks at the penny candy store.
この町にはまだ小さな駄菓子屋が残っている。
There is still a small cheap candy store left in this town.
Refers to the cheap sweets and snacks themselves, while 駄菓子屋 is the shop that sells them.
Compound of 駄菓子 (cheap sweets) and 屋 (shop). The exact historical origin of 駄菓子 is uncertain, but it refers to inexpensive, low-quality confectionery.