New Novelties

Knickknacks and home goods store Daiso expands to new San Antonio spot

Daiso is opening its second San Antonio location on September 28.

Daiso USA/Facebook

No matter where or when, cities always seem to have a market for knickknacks; and the Japanese store Daiso has them in droves. It's opening its new San Antonio location at Valley View Shopping Center (8523 Blanco Rd., #120) on September 28, with fun offers to get the party started.

The incredibly popular home goods store offers more than novelties, although that's what gets many Daiso shoppers through the doors. (See this very scientific market research meme.) Snacks are a big part of the brand, usually in the form of imported candy and crunchy things. The snacks obsession also extends to novelty ice cube trays, convenient kitchen tools, and lots of food-themed toys like plushies.

Lining the shelves are also tons of stationery and other office items, often with whimsical designs; closet and laundry organization tools; home decor; cosmetics; cozy socks; and the list goes on. Daiso follows a dollar store-like business model but with more curated goods, akin to popular Danish chain Flying Tiger.

To celebrate the store opening, the first two days of business — Saturday, September 28 and Sunday, September 29 — will include some thank-you gifts for shoppers. The first 100 customers to make a purchase of $30 or more will receive an exclusive goodie bag.

"Texas 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 Daiso USA's chief development officer, John Clarke, in a press release. "We currently operate 153 units in 8 states with more states opening in 2025."

This is only the second San Antonio location. It follows the chain's June 2024 debut at Alamo Ranch (5347 W Loop 1604 N.). There is already a precedent for Daiso's success in Texas; it operates a dozen or more stores each in Dallas and Houston, and is now up to four in Austin. It originally launched in the United States in 2005.

More information about Daiso is available at daisous.com. At the time of this article's publication, Daiso has not yet updated the online store locator to include information about the Valley View location.

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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.

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