Deep discount stores many Americans have never heard of, from Daiso to Dirt Cheap

Daiso already has just under 100 US stores, and the Japan-based chain aims to increase that number to 1,000 over time.Rachel Askinasi/Business Insider

• Large dollar store chains like Dollar General have gained popularity.
• Other chains, including some expanding to the US from abroad, attract budget-savvy customers.

Dollar stores like Dollar General and Dollar Tree have become a major part of American retail. But they're far from the only chains attracting budget-conscious customers.

Rising inflation over the last couple of years has pushed many consumers to look for ways to save money. For some, including mid- and high-income shoppers, that's meant popping into dollar stores and other heavy discounters to buy everything from food to home goods.

The dollar store chains are opening more stores to attract more customers. Dollar General, for instance, is on the cusp of opening its 20,000th store in the US.

While Dollar General, Dollar Tree, and Family Dollar dominate the dollar store space in the US, there are other chains, including a couple of foreign competitors, worth getting to know.

Here are five discount retailers competing for the attention of thrifty shoppers.