A BELOVED Japanese retailer is conducting some closures in the United States this year.
The company became very popular over the years for offering a wide variety of merchandise at budget-friendly prices.
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Shoppers at a beloved discount chain have spotted closures this year (stock image)Credit: Getty
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Japanese retailer Daiso has around 200 US locations (stock image)Credit: Getty
Its expansion to the US isn’t too recent, as discount chain Daiso opened its first store in 2005, with around 200 locations across the country to speak of today, per the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
Daiso was created in Kagematsu, Kagawa, Japan, back in 1972 as a street vendor business formerly known as Yano Shoten with products all listed for 100-yen (around 68 cents at the time).
After becoming a permanent store in Kagawa, it was renamed Daiso.
The retailer sells everything from cosmetics, to home goods, kitchenware, stationary, and even Japanese candy for a base price of $2.25 and some items going for as much as $18.
Read More on Store Closures
According to Daiso’s website, it plans to bring at least 42 new stores across 16 states in 2025.
Some have already held their grand openings, but others are suddenly being closed, according to social posts from several devastated customers last month.
CLOSURE CATCH
“Wutt… Why did they close Sephora & Daiso at Oakridge? They’re my most frequented store[s] after 99 Ranch there,” California-based shopper, Elizabeth, wrote on Facebook.
They included pictures of the Daiso sign taken down from the space, with the lights off and shelves vacant.
“I didn’t know that,” a stunned mall-goer added.
“I just came back from overseas and found out that Sephora and Daiso are closed? I feel the same way as you!” another exclaimed.
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In September, another customer spotted signs on the door of their local Daiso in Texas that noted the store was “permanently closed.”
“So many surprises that Daiso is closing some locations,” the shopper, Vivian, said in a separate Facebook post.
“I love Daiso!!!!!” someone cried out.
“Prices went way up and the quality dipped,” a longtime customer fumed.
Daiso Store Openings 2025
While there have been some isolated closures this year, Daiso is opening several new stores in the US.
Arkansas – 2Arizona – 1California – 9Colorado – 3Florida – 2Georgia – 2Illinois – 4Kansas – 2Minnesota – 3Missouri – 2New Mexico – 1Oklahoma – 2Oregon – 2Texas – 3Utah – 3Wisconsin – 1
Credit: Daiso
“Some Daiso stores have better items than others. Maybe that location sucked,” a third suggested.
So far, the California and Texas closures for Daiso appear to be isolated incidents, not part of any mass shutterings.
The US Sun has contacted Daiso for more information and a reasoning behind the shutdowns.
MALL MAYHEM
Some longtime shoppers at the Daiso that closed recently at the Westfield Oakridge Mall in San Jose, California, claimed that price struggles and economic uncertainty due to tariffs were factors in a thread on Reddit.
Malls and mall-based retailers, in general, have found themselves in a challenging position for years due to a rise in e-commerce, inflation, and changes in consumer spending habits.
Between 2017 and 2022 alone, 1,170 malls shutdown, according to data from Capital One Shopping.
Research from real estate services firm Green Street Advisors also predicts about 25% of malls nationwide will be no more by 2027.
Three iconic retailers with predominantly mall-based stores even filed for bankruptcy in 2025.
The US Sun has the complete list of stores conducting widespread closures in September.
AloJapan.com