Japanese dollar store chain Daiso to open stores in San Antonio

Japanese dollar store chain Daiso is expanding to San Antonio.

The company plans to open a 5,661-square-foot store at 5503 W. Loop 1604 N. in the Alamo Ranch area, a 6,616-square-foot store at 8521 Blanco Road near Castle Hills and an 8,217-square foot store at 8203 Texas 151 in Westover Hills, according to filings with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.

The stores — which will open at existing shopping centers, not as stand-alone locations — are scheduled to debut in June, July and September, respectively.

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Daiso was founded by the late Hirotake Yano in 1972 and is based in Hiroshima.

The company operates about 6,000 stores worldwide, selling more than 100,000 products ranging from home decor to stationery to food items to cosmetics. It opened its first US store in 2005 and now has more than 100 locations nationwide, including 22 stores across the Austin, Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth areas, according to its website.

Daiso continues to increase its footprint in Texas. The company plans to open more stores in Beaumont, Humble, El Paso, McAllen, Houston, League City and Fort Worth, according to state filings.

In San Antonio, expansion among discount stores has helped keep vacancies low.

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The area’s biggest shopping centers and malls were 95% full at year-end, the highest level since Weitzman began assessing the market in the mid-1990s, according to a biannual report by the Dallas-based commercial real estate firm.

Weitzman attributed the dearth of available retail space to little new product being built, discount stores adding more locations, companies taking over empty storefronts vacated by struggling chains, and demand rising as the city’s population swells. Burlington, HomeGoods, Nordstrom Rack, Best Buy Outlet, Five Below and DD’s Discounts are among the retailers that have moved into vacant spaces.