a good day for daiso

Fun Japanese store Daiso stocks up first San Antonio location

Daiso is opening a new store at Alamo Ranch.

So your co-worker got a promotion and you wanted to give them a silly little gift. Or your girlfriend had a bad day. Or you had a bad day and $4 to burn. Thankfully, there's Daiso. The Japanese retail store specializing in affordable knickknacks and home goods is now open in San Antonio.

The new store is located at Alamo Ranch (5347 W Loop 1604 N.) near Target, Best Buy, and a multitude of other big brand stores at the sprawling outdoor mall. It is the first Daiso store in San Antonio. Other Texas cities like Austin (three stores) and Houston (nine stores) got a head start, so it seems likely there will be more to come in San Antonio's future.

"We are thrilled to open our store at Alamo Ranch," said Chief Retail Operations Officer for Daiso USA Jack Williams in a press release. "This achievement reflects the dedication and support of our customers who have embraced Daiso's unique concept and diverse product range. We are excited to provide an exceptional shopping experience to the vibrant San Antonio community and look forward to serving our customers with the utmost care and dedication."

"Diverse" is an accurate assessment of the product range, which includes everything from art supplies, to snacks, to stuffed animals, to home organization tools across 5,661 square feet of retail space. Shoppers can compare this to the Danish brand Flying Tiger, or any number of U.S.-based dollar stores, although the international chains tend to be much more organized.

American shoppers have shown that they appreciate these more polished spaces, with some Daiso superfans in the mix. Daiso has amassed stores in multiple U.S. states since its entry into this country's market in 2005.

"San Antonio-based Daiso customers have shown us through our online business and social media their desire for us to have more stores within the state, influencing our immediate growth strategy in this region," said Williams. "We currently operate 132 units in 7 states with more states opening in 2024".

The Alamo Ranch Daiso is open Mondays through Saturdays from 9 am to 9 pm, and Sundays from 10 am to 8 pm.

international shopping kids

greener grass in tx

Texas blooms as No. 1 best state for homesteading and gardening

Photo by Zoe Schaeffer on Unsplash

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If social media is any indicator, homesteading has been one of the hottest trends of 2024. And Texas is leading the charge as the No. 1 best state for homesteading and gardening, according to a new report by First Saturday Lime.

Analysts at First Saturday Lime, an insect repellant company featured on Shark Tank, evaluated the "suitability for sustainable living" across all 50 states based on six factors: Climate, community interest (a.k.a online search trends), gardening resources, farmland costs, and others.

The Lone Star State led the nation with the most farms and ranches on the market and the highest total acreage for sale. As of the study's publication, there were 7,520 total properties for sale, spanning more than 2.19 million acres of land.

Texas also ranked favorably for its farmland affordability. The state came in at No. 9 nationally with its average farmland price coming out to $2,800 per acre, the report said.

For comparison, New Mexico (which ranked No. 11 overall) had the most affordable average price per acre of farmland at just $700 per acre. Massachusetts (No. 48) and Connecticut (No. 42), however, tied for the most expensive price per acre, at $14,300.

Among the three remaining categories in the study, Texas performed the worst for its "gardens on Yelp per capita" rank. The study calculated Texas has 0.30 gardening and community garden establishments on Yelp per capita, placing Texas at No. 49.

Meanwhile, Texas' historically hot weather meant it ranked No. 43 out of all 50 states in the "favorable climate" rank, and the state earned a middle-of-the-road No. 35 rank in the "search interest per capita" category.

"Homesteading and gardening are growing in popularity, but some states provide better opportunities than others," the report's author wrote. "Whether you're after fresh produce or the freedom of self-sufficiency, choosing the right state can make all the difference."

Following behind Texas to complete the top three best states for homesteading and gardening are Oregon (No. 2) and Washington (No. 3), two notoriously rainy West Coast states.

Meanwhile, three East Coast states ranked at the bottom of the list as the worst states for homesteading and gardening: Rhode Island (No. 50), New Jersey (No. 49), and Massachusetts (No. 48).

The top 10 best states for homesteading and gardening are:

No. 1 – Texas
No. 2 – Oregon
No. 3 – Washington
No. 4 – Vermont
No. 5 – Delaware
No. 6 – Arizona
No. 7 – Wyoming
No. 8 – Montana
No. 9 – Hawaii
No. 10 – Colorado

The study sourced its data from Yelp, Google Trends, and the UDSA to determine each state's ranking.

gardening sustainability nature farmers