Ross Stores Plans 110 New Locations in 2026 as Discount Demand Drives Expansion

Quick Facts

Ross opened 47 stores in June and July 2026, including 35 Ross Dress for Less and 12 dd’s DISCOUNTS locations across 15 states and territories.
The company targets 110 new stores in 2026, representing roughly 5% unit growth, with a long-term goal of 3,600 total locations.
Q1 fiscal 2026 sales jumped 21% to $6 billion, with comparable sales up 17% year over year.

Ross Stores is moving fast. The discount retailer opened 47 stores between June and July 2026, pushing its total store count to 1,952 Ross Dress for Less locations and 376 dd’s DISCOUNTS outlets.

The summer openings span 15 states and territories. New Ross Dress for Less stores entered Puerto Rico, New York, and Michigan, while also adding depth in Sunbelt markets. The 12 new dd’s DISCOUNTS locations opened in California, Florida, North Carolina, and Texas.

The company plans to open approximately 110 stores total in 2026, split between roughly 85 Ross Dress for Less and 25 dd’s DISCOUNTS. That compares to 90 total openings in fiscal 2025 and marks a step up in pace.

Richard Lietz, executive vice president of property development, pointed to performance as the driver. “Building on the strong new store performance in 2025 and the Spring openings this year, we are excited to grow Ross Dress for Less’ store base in Puerto Rico, New York, and Michigan while also continuing to deepen our presence in key Sunbelt states,” Lietz said.

CEO James Conroy tied the acceleration directly to store-level results. “Many of the changes we implemented that helped drive comp store sales growth also had a positive impact on new store productivity, which further bolsters our confidence in accelerating our store opening plans going forward,” Conroy said.

The financial case is clear. In Q1 fiscal 2026, Ross reported net income of $650 million and earnings per share of $2.02, up from $479 million and $1.47 per share in the prior-year period. Full-year fiscal 2025 revenue reached $22.8 billion, up 8%, with comparable store sales growing 5%.

Ross has also benefited from opportunistic real estate. The company acquired store locations from the Rite Aid bankruptcy, adding West Coast properties to its pipeline. Group President and COO Michael Hartshorn said on a May earnings call that the company is in “the best shape we’ve been in, in terms of getting leases.”

Beyond new locations, Ross is investing inside existing stores. The company piloted self-checkout in 80 locations and plans to expand that effort in 2026, targeting high-volume stores. A store refresh initiative covering new signage, wayfinding, and cosmetics repairs addressed roughly half of all locations in 2025. The company paused the second half of that rollout to assess whether additional changes are needed.

Tariff pressure has not stopped the buildout. Conroy acknowledged macroeconomic headwinds in the first half of fiscal 2026, including tariff impacts and consumer uncertainty, but said the company stayed focused on execution and financial discipline.

Ross’s business model depends on physical retail. The chain’s treasure-hunt format, built on closeouts and excess inventory from manufacturers and other retailers, requires customers to visit stores where assortments rotate frequently. Ross Dress for Less offers 20% to 60% savings versus department and specialty stores. dd’s DISCOUNTS targets moderate-income shoppers with 20% to 70% savings versus comparable retailers.

The long-term target is 2,900 Ross Dress for Less stores and 700 dd’s DISCOUNTS locations, for a combined 3,600 outlets. The company currently operates 2,328 total stores across both banners. Reaching that target would require roughly 1,270 additional openings from today’s count.