|
Up
| |
Shoppers can dress for even less at Ross Stores’ new
concept -
dd’s discounts
by Rich Timlen
Ross Stores has always wanted its shoppers to be able to dress for less. Now
the company is looking to have their customers dress for – well, um – a whole
lot less. A new concept being developed by the company called “dd’s discounts”
is being aimed at bargain-hunting shoppers and consumers with an average
household income of $30,000. The stores will carry a mix of brands seen in the
likes of Ross Stores, Wal*Mart and moderately priced department stores such as
Sears and J.C. Penney.
The company expects to open 10 dd’s discounts stores during the second half of
this year. Stores are slated to open throughout the West Coast, including the
following locations in CA: the San Francisco Bay area, Central Valley, Central
Coast, greater Los Angeles, San Diego and the Imperial Valley. A national
rollout is expected in the near future. A spokesperson for Ross Stores said the
concept has long-term growth opportunities and thinks that dd’s discounts could
potentially operate at least 500 locations.
The typical stores will average approximately 25,000 sq.ft. and utilize 150 feet
of frontage. Preferred sites will be located in smaller densely populated
neighborhood areas and urban shopping centers. The company ideally cotenants
with dollar stores, value-focused supermarkets and other downscale off-price
retailers.
Ross Stores, Inc. operates a discount clothing chain with about 575 locations.
The company sells mostly closeout merchandise, including men’s, women’s, and
children’s clothing, at prices below those of department and specialty stores.
Although apparel accounts for about two-thirds of sales, the stores also sell
small furnishings, educational toys and games, luggage and gourmet foods in
select stores. Featuring the Ross “Dress for Less” trademark, the chain targets
25- to 54-year-old white-collar shoppers from primarily middle-income
households. Ross stores are located in strip centers throughout 23 states,
mostly in the western US and Guam. The company expects to open approximately 70
of its Ross Dress For Less stores this year.
For more information, contact Steve Horowitz or Katie Loughnot, Ross Stores,
Inc., 8333 Central Avenue, Newark, CA 94560-3433; 510-505-4302, Fax
510-505-4169; Email:
steve.horowitz@ros.com; Web site:
www.rossstores.com. For the San Francisco Bay area, contact Matt Alexander,
Staubach Retail Services, 301 Howard Street, Suite 930, San Francisco, CA 94105;
415-908-4938; Web site: www.staubach.com.
In the Sacramento, CA area contact Steve Edwards, Potter-Taylor, 1425 River Park
Drive, Suite 201, Sacramento, CA 95815; 916-923-0200; Web site:
www.potter-taylor.com. For the
Central Valley area, contact John Marshall at John Marshall Commercial Real
Estate, 516 West Shaw Avenue, Suite 200, Fresno, CA 93704; 559-221-2520. For
Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Benito Counties, contact Jackie Copriviza, J.R.
Parrish, 9000 Soquel Avenue, Suite 200, Santa Cruz, CA 95062-2097; 831-476-2222
Ext. 101, Fax 831-464-5818; Web site:
www.jrparrish.com. For the greater Los Angeles area, contact Jason Gordon,
Epsteen & Associates, 1429 4th Street, Santa Monica, CA 90401-2393; 310-451-8171
Ext. 222, Fax 310-395-6361. Or contact, Ron Wood, Epsteen & Associates, at
561-434-9401. And for San Diego and the Imperial Valley, contact Nancy Johnston,
Epsteen & Associates, 858-536-8383; Web site:
www.epsteen.com.
|