Ross Dress for Less, the largest off-price apparel and home fashion chain in the nation, will open two new stores in St. Paul and Maplewood on Oct. 13.

The chain, headquartered in Dublin, Calif., will open a Ross Dress for Less shop within the Sun Ray Shopping Center at 2145 Hudson Road, and another store in the Birch Run Station strip mall at 1719 Beam Ave. in Maplewood.

The Ross stores, which are publicly traded, operate nearly 1,800 locations in 43 states. The chain currently has shops in St. Cloud and Eau Claire, Wis., as well as a new location in Rochester, Minn.

Five Below stores -- which sell collectibles and room décor, candy, t-shirts, clothing accessories and other tween-friendly items -- opened in the Sun Ray Shopping Center about a month ago, and at the Birch Run Station strip mall in February.

The addition of the two new stores fills about 33,000 square feet within the Sun Ray Shopping Center, according to Kristen Moore, a spokesperson for the Brixmor Property Group in New York. Ross Dress for Less will span 21,500 square feet and Five Below spans 11,650 square feet.

Anchored by Cub Foods, the shopping center also hosts Planet Fitness, DTLR apparel, Rainbow clothing and Sally Beauty Supply, as well as fast food.

The shopping center "is not full yet," Moore said. "We do have a lot of leasing interest. We have things in the works, but we only can announce once leases are signed."