A multi-billion dollar global retailer is set to unleash a wave of mega-stores for the Australian market.
Japanese retailer Daiso will roll out a second wave of mega-stores on local soil, with a further six locations now locked in to launch within the next two months.
The variety retailer currently operates 3,400 stores internationally and will now bolster its growing Australian retail network with the addition of four new stores in Victoria and one new store in both New South Wales and Queensland.
Locations for the latest company-owned Daiso stores include an outlet in the QV in Victoria, scheduled for September 12, followed by one store each in Queensland and Victoria set to launch on September 19 and 26 respectively – but still pending lease confirmation.
Two mega flagship stores are then slated to launch simultaneously in the Melbourne CBD on Flinders Street and Sydney's Central Park shopping precinct near Broadway in mid-October 2013.
A final store, in Craigieburn, Victoria, is then scheduled to open on October 25, before the Daiso looks to expand its local retail footprint further.
As previously reported in Ragtrader [August 2013], Daiso has made no secret of its plans to focus on “aggressive expansion” plans in Australia, with a goal to reach 100 stores locally by 2015.
The six impending store launches across the country add to the existing Daiso retail network in Australia, which includes seven existing stores, with three – in Glendale (NSW), Chermside (QLD), and Chadstone (VIC) – just launched in August.
Daiso offers approximately 13,000 product lines including low-cost fashion items and accessories, and is headed up by CEO and former Coles-Myer and Pacific Brands senior executive Kit Cheong.
Cheong has made no secret of her intention to launch Daiso into other states within Australia once the company has cemented its presence on the east coast.
She also said Daiso is primed for growth as it moves to fill a niche gap in the Australian shopping market.
The retailer has a catalogue of over 70,000 products, with a selling point it claims is unique – everything costs $2.80 every day.
“Daiso sees Australia as a real opportunity because there is really nothing like this retail concept in stores here currently,” Cheong said.