Ross rolling toward 2,000

Ross Stores is less than two months into its new fiscal year and already the company is halfway home on its 2015 new store growth plan and asserting its long term potential.

Ross confirmed that since the beginning of its fiscal year on Feb. 1, it opened 32 Ross Dress for Less stores and five dd’s Discounts stores in 15 states.

The company’s full year plan disclosed when fourth quarter results were released on Feb. 26, calls for 70 Ross stores and 20 dd’s Discounts stores.

"These openings reflect our ongoing plans to further increase our presence in existing markets while also expanding in the newer markets which we entered back in 2011," said Ross Stores President and Chief Development Officer Jim Fassio. "The 37 stores we recently opened include locations in our largest states of California, Texas and Florida, where we are still able to take advantage of attractive sites to further strengthen our market share. Our Spring opening group also includes additional stores in our newer markets of Illinois, Kentucky and Indiana. Looking ahead, we continue to identify future growth opportunities across all of our markets, giving us confidence that Ross Dress for Less can ultimately grow to 2,000 locations and dd's Discounts can eventually become a chain of 500 stores."

The company currently operates 1,242 Ross stores in 33 states and 157 dd’s Discounts stores.