Store Expansion News: August update
Retailers and restaurants alike made headlines in August with store expansion plans and new formats.
Here are the major stories as reported by Chain Store Age, starting with the most recent.
•Activate Games opens largest location to date — here's where Activate Games, which describes itself as the world’s first "active-gaming experience," opened a 14,814-sq.-ft. location in New York City’s Union Square neighborhood. It's the company's second location in the state, with the first at Roosevelt Field mall in Garden City (on Long Island).
•Bass Pro Shops plots expansion in Texas The outdoor retailer, known for its immersive retail destinations, plans to open a 100,000-sq.-ft. store in College Station, Texas, adjacent to the future South College Station baseball and softball complex. The news follows Bass Pro’s recent growth in the Lone Star State, including newly-opened locations in Odessa, Tyler, Spring and Grand Prairie, along with a planned location expected to open in early 2027 in Abilene.
•Build-A-Bear fires chief growth officer as earnings, sales fall; opening 50 stores Despite reporting disappointing results for its second quarter amid declines in online and store traffic, the experiential retailer continues to expect net new unit growth of at least 50 stores this year through a combination of corporately-managed, partner-operated and franchise business models. Build-A-Bear currently operates more than 670 global locations.
•Primark continues U.S. expansion with Georgia debut The global value fashion and home retailer will make its Georgia debut on Sept. 8, opening a store at the super-regional Sugarloaf Mills outlet center in Lawrenceville, a northeastern suburb of Atlanta. The brand will also open a second Georgia location in Augusta on Sept. 10, at Augusta Mall. The openings bring Primark’s U.S. footprint to 48 locations.
•Korean accessories brand N.Cat opens first U.S. store — with another on the way Fashion accessories brand N.Cat has officially entered the U.S. retail market with its first brick-and-mortar location at the Del Amo Fashion Center regional mall in Torrance, Calif. The store features a wide variety of Korean fashion accessories, including jewelry, hair accessories, bags and lifestyle essentials. N.Cat is also preparing to open its second U.S. location at Brea Mall in Brea, Calif., in September.
•Ross Stores earnings, sales soar in Q2; 115 new stores planned in 2026 Ross Stores opened 47 new stores during the second quarter, including 35 Ross and 12 DD’s Discounts. Based on strong performance, the company is increasing its 2026 store opening plans to 115 new locations from its previously announced 110 new stores. These will consist of approximately 90 Ross Dress for Less and 25 DD’s Discounts stores.
•Shipley Donuts to make Michigan debut with 15-unit agreement The Houston-based donut chain will make its Michigan debut in Metro Detroit through a 15-unit franchise agreement with Hole Lotta Dough LLC. Shipley Donuts will open its locations across Oakland, Macomb and Wayne counties, with the first location planned for late Q1 2027.
•Indochino making big investment in standalone retail — here are locations The digitally-native made-to-measure apparel company plans to open 10 new showrooms across the United States. Six locations are confirmed for early 2027, with four additional showrooms slated to open in mid to late 2027. The store will feature Indochino's new smaller footprint, which is less than about 1,000 square feet.
•Bealls plots 2026/2027 store expansion — here’s where The Florida-based off-price retailer plans to open 25 new stores across 12 states in fall 2026 and spring 2027. The expansion includes Bealls’ first-ever store in Michigan, with five locations planned for the state.
•Fabletics in new store push — in U.S. and abroad The digitally-native, tech-savvy activewear brand is accelerating its global growth strategy with plans to triple its international footprint in 2026 and open approximately 20 new stores over the next 12 months. The expansion will bring Fabletics into several new markets throughout this year and next, including India, the UAE, Colombia, Peru and across Central America.
