Store Expansion News: September update
Retailers and restaurants alike made headlines in September with store expansions and new formats.
Here are the major stories as reported by Chain Store Age, starting with the most recent.
•First Look: LoveShackFancy enters Midwest; October store openings include… The lifestyle and fashion brand, known for its ultra-feminine, vintage-inspired aesthetics and love of all things pink, has opened its first store in the Midwest — and 22nd location to date — in Wilmette, Ill., on Chicago’s North Shore. LoveShackFancy will open on Market Street in The Woodlands, (Woodlands, Texas) in early October, followed by a flagship in New York City’s SoHo neighborhood later in the month.
•Costco Q4 tops Street, to open 35 new warehouses; holiday mix to look ‘different’ As it continues its strong financial performance, the wholesale club chain opened 27 new warehouses, including three relocations, during its recently completed fiscal year. Costco plans to open another 35 warehouses in its new fiscal year, including five relocations.
•Jack & Jones to make U.S. debut at five shopping centers — here's where The Denmark-based apparel retailer, which operates more than 4,000 stores worldwide, will make its U.S. store debut at five Brookfield Properties-owned shopping centers, starting in November at The Mall in Columbia, Columbia, Md. The move into the U.S. market follows Jack & Jones’ recent expansion in Canada.
•Toys”R”Us to open 10 U.S. flagships by year-end; locations include… The toy retailer, in partnership with Go! Retail Group, said it is planning to open 10 new flagships and 20 seasonal holiday shops in the U.S. by year's end. The first new flagship is scheduled to open on Sept. 20 at Chicago Premium outlets in Aurora, Ill., followed by locations opening in October at Camarillo Premium Outlets in Camarillo, Calif., and Arundel Mills in Hanover, Md.
•Target opening seven stores in October — here are the locations The discounter will open seven stores in October, with six of the locations topping Target’s 125,000-sq.-ft. average as it continues to lean into its larger footprint. The openings are part of the 20 new locations that Target plans to open this year, and also reflect the retailer’s commitment to building more than 300 stores during the next decade.
•Primark marks 10 years in U.S. with new leases, planned entry in new state The global value fashion retailer, which opened its first U.S. store in Boston in 2015, said it is dedicated to U.S. growth. It has 33 stores across 13 U.S. states, with recent openings including El Paso, Texas; Memphis, Tenn.; and Jersey City, N.J. Primark also announced it has signed four new leases, including its entry into Minnesota, with a store at Mall of America in Bloomington.
•Qdoba bolsters expansion plans with 50-unit franchise deal The fast-casual Mexican chain has announced that Barry Dubin of B Wild Investments, LLC has signed on to develop 50 new restaurants across Alaska, Utah, Nevada, Colorado and New Mexico. Initially, expansion plans will focus on locations in Salt Lake City, St. George, Albuquerque, Las Vegas and areas surrounding Colorado Springs. The deal marks one of the largest development deals in Qdoba’s history.
•Starbucks to give makeovers to 1,000 cafes by end of 2026 The coffee giant said it is making over its cafes to create physically welcoming spaces that bring back familiar touches such as generous seating and designs reflecting the local community. Some locations in New York City and Southern California have already been given the makeover. By the end of 2026, some 1,000 Starbucks stores will have been refreshed, with more to come in the years ahead.
•Ulta opens first stores in Mexico — with more coming soon Ulta Beauty has expanded into Mexico, marking its first international brick-and-mortar locations. Ulta’s first store in Mexico opened on Aug. 21 at Antara Fashion Hall in Mexico City, followed by a location at Galerías Metepec in Metepec on Aug. 30. Seven additional locations are scheduled to debut across the country throughout the year.
•Academy Sports opening 11 stores — here’s where; Q2 sales rise 3.3% The Texas-based sporting goods and outdoor recreation retailer has 11 new stores on tap for the third quarter, with plans to open a total of 20 to 25 new locations this fiscal year. To date, Academy has opened 11 stores in 2025, bringing its total to 306 locations across 21 states.
•Ace Retail launches multi-year store remodeling initiative The retailer, a wholly-owned division of Ace Hardware Corp., has launched a multi-year initiative to remodel more than 80 Westlake Ace Hardware and Great Lakes Ace Hardware stores with a new brand-centric design aimed at creating an enhanced hardware shopping experience. The company said it plans to make a significant investment in the initiative over the next five years, installing the concept in about 20 locations annually.
