Off-pricer remains bullish on store expansion

Ross Stores continues to build out its store footprint at an aggressive pace.



The off-price retailer opened 21 Ross Dress for Less stores and seven dd's Discounts locations across 15 different states in June and July. The openings are part of the company's plans to add approximately 70 Ross and 20 dd's locations in 2017.



"With this opening group, we continued to expand Ross and dd's in both new and existing markets. Ross grew in its newest market – the Midwest – as well as existing markets, including California, Texas, and Florida," said Jim Fassio, president and chief development officer, Ross.



In June, dd's opened its 200th location and expanded into its newest state of Pennsylvania.



"Looking ahead, we remain confident in our expansion plans and continue to see plenty of opportunity to grow across all of our markets," said Fassio. "We continue to believe that over the long-term, Ross can grow to 2,000 locations and dd's can become a chain of 500 stores."



Ross Stores is headquartered in Dublin, California, with fiscal 2016 revenues of $12.9 billion. Currently, it operates 1, 384 Ross Dress for Less locations in 37 states, the District of Columbia and Guam, and 205 dd's Discounts ouposts in 16 states.