Dive Brief:
- Burlington Stores is halfway done with refreshing its chain of 1,115 locations, according to a press release. Remaining locations are expected to be completed by the end of 2026.
- The ongoing reimagining of the off-price retailer’s in-store experience favors an open layout with a format that is designed to enhance the customer experience, per the company.
- The refresh includes organized aisles and signage that showcases trends.
Dive Insight:
Burlington Stores intends to maintain its relevance and compete with the likes of TJX and Ross by streamlining and updating its chain of stores.
The company is calling the effort Store Experience 2.0.
”Now, instead of a difficult-to-navigate and endless sea of racks, you’ll find a store layout that’s much more welcoming, inviting, exciting,” CEO Michael O’Sullivan said on a recent call with analysts. Burlington’s store, merchandising and marketing teams have all collaborated on the new layout and design. “We’re really excited about it. It reinforces who we are.”
O’Sullivan said feedback from customers on the new store layout “has been overwhelmingly positive.”
Burlington intends to open 100 net new stores this year and another 100 in 2026, according to O’Sullivan. Burlington earlier this year acquired the leases from 46 former Joann locations following its bankruptcy.
The company remains bullish on its 2.0 store merchandising and operations initiatives, which have instituted new systems, processes and tools to give the company’s buyers more flexibility and control over external events like fluctuating tariffs.
“A couple of years ago, we would not have had the transparency and the agility to make these kinds of adjustments,” O’Sullivan told analysts in May. “We expect that as the year goes on, the environment will continue to be volatile and dynamic. Our Merchandising 2.0 capabilities are going to be very important for our buyers and planners to manage through this external volatility.”
Burlington’s Q1 results saw a 6% total sales increase, while comp sales were flat and net income increased 28% year over year to over $100 million.
