Stein Mart will open a new store in Sunset Hills on March 15, the company announced today.

As reported last October in the Post-Dispatch Consumer Central blog, the new store will occupy the former Borders book store, continuing a trend of new retailers opening in the shuttered big-box book outlets. In all, nine Borders locations have closed in the St. Louis metro area.

Stein Mart, a value-oriented apparel and home decor retailer, has two other locations in the region.

Two other new Stein Marts will open on the same day in Irvine, Calif., near Los Angeles; and Suwanee, Ga., near Atlanta, bringing the retailer's store count to 264.

"We are pleased to announce the expansion of our footprint in these three existing markets," said Jay Stein, interim chief executive officer of Stein Mart, in a company release. "Through this expansion we further solidify our position as a leading retailer offering brand name fashion at everyday low prices."