Ross ramps up 2026 expansion as discount retail demand holds strong

Ross Stores is ramping up store growth in 2026 as demand for discount apparel and home goods remains resilient, with the retailer opening 17 new locations and planning more than 100 additional sites this year.

The company said the latest openings – 13 Ross Dress for Less stores and four dd’s Discounts locations – mark the start of its 2026 rollout, which targets approximately 110 new stores in total, including about 85 Ross locations and 25 dd’s Discounts stores.

The expansion follows solid performance from stores opened in 2025, reinforcing management’s expectations that value-focused retail will remain a key draw for consumers.

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Ross Dress for Less in Miami Beach, Florida. (Jeff Greenberg/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

Off-price retailers have continued to benefit as shoppers seek lower-cost alternatives for apparel and home goods, particularly as price sensitivity persists across discretionary categories.

Geographically, Ross expanded its namesake brand across the Mountain, Midwest and Northeast regions, while also strengthening its presence in key Sunbelt markets.

Shoppers walk in front a Ross Dress For Less store at Monroe Marketplace in Pennsylvania. (Paul Weaver/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

For dd’s Discounts, the company added locations in its core markets of California and Texas, along with its first store in Utah, signaling expansion into new territory.

The new stores are also expected to support local job creation and broader economic activity tied to store development.

A Ross store in San Francisco on Nov. 12, 2023. (Michaela Vatcheva/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Looking ahead, Ross said it sees a long-term opportunity to grow to approximately 2,900 Ross Dress for Less stores and 700 dd’s Discounts locations nationwide – or about 3,600 stores in total – underscoring confidence in sustained demand for discount retail.

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In conjunction with each opening, the company said it is supporting community initiatives through donations to local Boys & Girls Clubs or First Book literacy partners focused on underprivileged youth.