Chain stores pondering expansion

Written by Dave Gallagher | The Bellingham Herald | April 22, 2010

I was reading Specs Talk, a newsletter sent out by Chain Store Age that gives readers insight about what’s happening in the retail chain store industry. Something I’ve noticed in the newsletter is the uptick in companies talking about expansions. There was very little talk about retail chain expansion last year, so this may be a further indication companies are starting to be more aggressive and there’s better access to credit. Here are some examples of companies in expansion mode (None of these companies mentioned in Specs Talk specifically expanding into this region):

– Five Below, a clothing store for tweens and teens, is adding 40 new stores in 2010.

– Bed Bath & Beyond is planning to open 60 new stores in 2010.

– Urban Outfiiters to open 45 stores this year.

– MicroSoft is testing the retail waters, with plans to open retail stores in Denver and San Francisco.