A popular Japanese retail chain known for its eclectic assortment of products at discount prices is planning to open a new store in Hillsboro.

Daiso is set to open up a 5,415 square-foot store near the intersection of Southeast Tualatin Valley Highway and 24th Avenue, according to a leasing pamphlet for the Sunset Esplanade shopping center. On Sunday, pink signage at the front of the location indicated a Daiso was coming to the shopping center soon and that the company was hiring.

It’s unclear, however, when the store would open. Neither Daiso nor the real estate broker for Sunset Esplanade responded to requests for comment. The store is currently hiring for store associates in Hillsboro, according to the company website.

Daiso, which means “big warehouse,” sells all sorts of knickknacks and household goods, including stationery, food and cosmetics.

The Hillsboro store would be the company’s second in the Portland area. Earlier this month, Daiso opened a store just outside of Vancouver at 628 N.E. 81st St. in Hazel Dell.

While the company has about a dozen Daiso locations in Washington, most in the Seattle-Tacoma area, Daiso does not yet have a footprint in Oregon.

The retailer announced plans to open a store at The Village Medford Center, according to Rick Coy, leasing officer for the mall. He said there’s no set opening date for the Medford store yet but construction has begun.

Founded in 1977, the Hiroshima-based company traces its origins back to a street vending shop that sold products at or below 100 yen – about 65 cents in U.S. dollars, making it the equivalent of the dollar store in the U.S. The company has since grown into a retail empire, with over 3,800 Daiso locations in Japan and 990 stores overseas as of the end of 2023, according to its website.

Daiso opened its first U.S. location in the Seattle area in 2005 and now has more than 120 stores across seven states, with more on the way, according to the company’s website. Last year, the company opened a distribution center in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

-- Kristine de Leon covers the retail industry, small business and data enterprise stories. Reach her at kdeleon@oregonian.com.

Our journalism needs your support. Subscribe today.