In 2026 and beyond, U.S. brick-and-mortar retail expansion is strong in discount, grocery, and off-price sectors, with Dollar General, Nordstrom Rack, Uniqlo, Barnes & Noble, Trader Joe's, and Dollar Tree among key players opening new stores, capitalizing on consumer demand for value and convenience amidst broader retail shifts.
Discount
& Value Retailers (High Growth)
Dollar General: Leading the charge
with plans for hundreds of new stores, targeting rural areas and expanding its
discount footprint.
Dollar Tree: Converting stores and
opening new locations, focusing on value.
Nordstrom Rack: Expanding
aggressively with new locations, leveraging its off-price model.
Groceries
& Specialty Foods
Trader Joe's: Expanding into new
states, adding to its popular niche grocery offerings.
Walmart: Continues to dominate with consistent growth, remodeling stores, and enhancing digital/pickup options, remaining a go-to for value.
Apparel
& Home Goods
Uniqlo: Adding locations,
focusing on its affordable, quality basics.
L.L. Bean: Also noted for opening new stores, according to Business Insider.
Books
& Other
Barnes & Noble: Growing its physical presence with new store openings.
Key
Trends Driving Expansion
Value
Focus: Consumers are prioritizing deals, benefiting discount and off-price
retailers.
Market
Share: Retailers are expanding to capture more of the market, especially as
some competitors close stores.
Omnichannel Integration: Continued investment in digital, pickup, and delivery alongside physical stores.
In 2026 and beyond, several major U.S. retailers are aggressively expanding their physical footprints, with over 3,000 net new stores projected to open by 2029. Expansion is heavily concentrated in discount retail, grocery, and experiential "destination" formats.
Mass
Merchants & Big-Box Retailers
Walmart: Plans to
open 150 new stores over the next few years, including five in early
2026 (four Supercenters and one Neighborhood Market). The retailer is also
remodeling dozens of locations to its "Store of the Future" format.
Target: Aims to open
nearly 40 new stores in 2026 as part of a long-term plan to
add 300 locations over the next decade.
Costco: Targeting 35
new warehouses in fiscal 2026, many of which are intended to ease
overcrowding at high-traffic existing locations.
Sam’s Club: Planning six new store openings in early 2026 across California, Texas, and Tennessee, with a broader goal of adding 15 new stores annually.
Discount
& Off-Price Retailers
Dollar General: Continuing its
rural expansion with 450 new U.S. stores slated for 2026.
Burlington: Accelerating
its strategy to reach 2,000 stores, with a target of at least 110 net
new locations in 2026.
Nordstrom
Rack: Opening at least 13 to 14 new locations in 2026 across 10
states, including Florida, California, and New Jersey.
Ollie's Bargain Outlet: Targeting 75 new stores for fiscal year 2026.
Grocery
Chains
Aldi: Implementing a massive expansion plan to add 800 new stores by 2028, with many Winn-Dixie and Harveys conversions occurring in 2026 and 2027.
Sprouts Farmers Market: Plans to open
over 40 new units in 2026, targeting a 10% increase in store
volume by 2027.
Publix: Moving
further north with new stores in Virginia and Kentucky, while continuing
expansion in its home state of Florida.
Kroger: Expected
to increase new store openings by 30% throughout 2026, with a focus on the
Southeast.
Whole Foods: Expanding via its smaller "Daily Shop" urban concept, with four new locations planned for 2026.
Specialty
& Apparel
Barnes
& Noble: Set to open 60 new stores in 2026 following a
successful decentralized management strategy.
Uniqlo: Adding 11
new stores in 2026, aiming for a total of 200 locations in North
America by 2027.
PacSun: Expanding
its footprint for the first time in 18 years, with 20 to 35 new
locations planned over the next three years, including nine leases already
signed for 2026.
L.L.
Bean: Opening eight new stores in 2026, with plans to accelerate
expansion further in 2027.
SKIMS: Moving aggressively from online-only to brick-and-mortar, with plans to open 16 new U.S. locations this year to reach approximately 22 domestic stores.
Comments
The advantage to buying at “brick and mortar stores” includes the ability to change your shopping list based on price and get clothes and shoes that fit and don’t have to be sent back.
Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader
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