MINISO is planning to open a new store at River City Marketplace in North Jacksonville, bringing its mix of lifestyle goods, collectibles and everyday finds to Space 46 at 12884 City Center Blvd. The 4,263-square-foot storefront would sit between Uniform-T and DTLR inside the shopping center, which is anchored by HomeGoods and Old Navy.
The listing was reported by WhatNow, which says Kimco Realty's tenant directory lists MINISO as the planned occupant of the space. Two days earlier, the Jacksonville Daily Record reported MINISO was headed for Space 46, based on a landlord site plan, marking the retailer's fourth planned location in the Jacksonville metro area. No exact opening date has been announced for the River City Marketplace store.
A Fourth Storefront Across Duval County
MINISO already operates stores at The Avenues and Orange Park Mall, and the Jacksonville Daily Record's earlier reporting showed the chain is also building a 4,985-square-foot location at 10261 River Marsh Drive in St. Johns Town Center, inside space formerly occupied by Lane Bryant. Per that report, contractor Lei Feng Construction LLC is handling the buildout, with an estimated $95,000 in construction costs tied to the permit.
River City Marketplace itself is the largest shopping complex in northern Jacksonville, spanning 632,050 square feet across 94 acres with more than 80 retail tenants and 5,335 parking spaces, according to Kimco Realty, which owns and manages the open-air center off City Center Boulevard. The property sits near Jacksonville International Airport, and it benefits from heavy corridor traffic that helps explain the area's retail draw.
What MINISO Sells and Why It's Expanding So Fast
MINISO describes itself as a global lifestyle brand focused on creativity, affordability and fun, carrying plush toys, blind boxes, collectibles, beauty products, stationery, home goods, bags, accessories, electronics and snacks across 10 product categories, per the company's own website. The chain partners with intellectual property holders including Sanrio, Disney, Harry Potter and The Powerpuff Girls, and its stores are built around a discovery-style shopping experience that regularly rotates new products and collaborations through the shelves.
MINISO says it now has more than 330 stores across the United States and more than 7,800 locations worldwide, and the company recently highlighted the opening of its 400th U.S. store. Modern Retail, via the Jacksonville Daily Record, linked MINISO's growth to licensing partnerships with more than 180 global IP rights holders. The company has grown into a multinational retailer, according to Wikipedia.
The Jacksonville push fits a broader Florida pattern for the retailer, which has also landed stores this year at Orlando's Waterford Lakes Town Center, covered previously by Hoodline, and Miami's Dolphin Mall. MINISO appears to be targeting dominant open-air and regional lifestyle centers across the state's major metro areas rather than sticking to traditional enclosed malls alone.
A Shopping Center in Flux
In August, the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office ran a three-day National Organized Retail Crime Blitz targeting theft at River City Marketplace and St. Johns Town Center, resulting in 12 arrests, according to WJXT News4JAX.
With no opening date yet confirmed, shoppers in North Jacksonville will have to wait to see exactly when MINISO's shelves of blind boxes, plush toys and character collaborations arrive at Space 46. For now, the listing stands as the latest sign that River City Marketplace remains an active target for national retailers looking to plant a flag on Jacksonville's Northside.
