Apparel

New York -- Swedish fast-fashion giant H&M isn’t letting the strong U.S. dollar hurt its expansion plans.

The chain plans to open about 400 new stores in 2015-2016. It is expanding into five new markets: Taiwan, Peru, Macau, South Africa and India. Other plans include the launch of H&M Beauty this July, starting in about 900 stores and online. The company also hinted at the development of a mysterious new brand.

Having passed the calendar’s mid-point, we thought it would be interesting to take a look at the top 10 most-viewed stories of the year (to date) on Chainstoreage.com.

Dublin, Calif. -- Ross Dress for Less (“Ross”) isn’t slowing down its brick-and-mortar expansion.

The chain will open a new location in Salina, Kansas, on July 18. The 25,000-sq.-ft. store is located in the Central Mall, 80 miles north of Wichita. The opening is part of the retailer’s 2015 expansion program, totaling approximately 70 new locations during the year.  

Dublin, Calif. -- Ross Dress for Less will open new stores in Corbin, Kentucky, and in Middletown, Kentucky, both on July 18.  

The 22,000-sq.-ft. Corbin store is located in the Trademart Shopping Center at Highway 25 and Master Street.

The 25,000-sq.-ft. Middletown store is located in Middletown Commons at Interstate 265 and Shelbyville Road, 14 miles east of Louisville.  

Both are part of the retailer’s 2015 expansion program, totaling approximately 70 new locations during the year.  

Dublin, Calif. -- Ross Dress for Less will open a new store in Alton, Illinois, on July 18.  

The 24,000-sq.-ft. store is located in Alton Square Mall, 20 miles north of downtown St. Louis.
 

Dublin, Calif. -- Ross Dress for Less will open a new store in Montrose, Colorado, on July 18, as well as a new store in Phoenix on the same day, adding to its western U.S. store counts.

The 27,000-sq.-ft. Montrose, Colorado, store is located in the River Landing shopping center at US Highway 550 and Rio Grande Avenue, 60 miles southeast of Grand Junction.  

Dublin, Calif. -- Ross Dress for Less will open two new stores in the Raleigh, North Carolina, area on July 18.  The stores are located in the Wake Forest Crossing in Wake Forest, 15 miles northeast of downtown Raleigh, and the Shops at Cameron in Sanford, 50 miles southwest of Raleigh.  

These openings are part of the retailer’s 2015 expansion program, totaling approximately 70 new locations during the year.  
 

Dublin, Calif. -- dd’s Discounts, a division of Ross Stores, Inc., opened a trio of new stores in California on June 27.

A 22,000-sq. ft. anchor store opened in Bell Gardens, California, in the El Tapatio Center, located at Florence Avenue and Jaboneria Road, eight miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles.  

In Perris, California, an 18,000-sq.-ft. store opened in the Perris Towne Center at the intersection of Perris Boulevard and Nuevo Road.

Dublin, Calif. -- dd’s Discounts, a division of Ross Stores, Inc., opened a new store in Eastex, Texas on June 27.  

The 21,000-sq.-ft. store is located in the Eastex Shopping Center at Highway 59 and Little York Road.  
 

Dublin, Calif. -- dd’s Discounts, a division of Ross Stores, Inc., opened a new store in Lafayette, Louisiana, on June 27.  

The 21,000-sq.-ft. store is located in the Karam Shopping Center, a 100,238-sq.-ft. site at Evangeline Throughway and Willow Street.