Ross Stores Inc. opened 35 Ross Dress for Less locations and 12 dd’s Discounts stores across 15 states and territories during June and July, extending a spring wave of 17 openings that included Puerto Rico, New York and Michigan. The company plans to add 85 Ross and 25 dd’s Discounts stores this year, while closing or relocating 10 to 15 older units. Executive vice president of real estate development Richard Litz said each new store extends value to more shoppers and creates local jobs, framing the push as community investment rather than mere square-footage growth.
The off-price chain now operates 1,952 Ross stores across 44 states, the District of Columbia, Guam and Puerto Rico, plus 376 dd’s Discounts locations in 23 states. dd’s Discounts, the group’s extreme-value banner, targets the most budget-conscious shopper and is itself a growing outlet for entry-price pet accessories. Expansion is concentrated in Sun Belt markets including California, Florida, North Carolina and Texas, where existing catchments are being deepened rather than merely widened into new geographies.
Why it matters for the pet industry
Ross and dd’s Discounts both stock pet essentials such as beds, toys, litter and grooming accessories as part of their treasure-hunt assortments, and their aggressive square-footage growth directly expands low-price shelf space for private-label and branded pet goods. For pet specialty and pet e-commerce operators, every new off-price door is another destination capturing the value-seeking pet owner who now spreads a tighter household budget across more channels and visits.
The pet implication is a slow squeeze on full-price pet retail: as Ross pulls traffic with its 20%-off-then-coupon mentality, pet brands reliant on impulse purchases at grocery and specialty must defend relevance through price architecture and loyalty, not premium positioning alone. Pet owners shopping dd’s Discounts for basics are unlikely to trade up at a pet specialty aisle next door, so replenishment speed and price matching become the defenses that matter most.
What to watch
- Track Ross pet-category SKU counts per new door as 85 Ross openings roll out through the end of the year.
- Monitor dd’s Discounts expansion across 23 states for the breadth of its private-label pet accessory range.
- Watch pet specialty traffic in Sun Belt markets where Ross is deepening its existing store catchments.
FAQ
How big is the off-price retail expansion by Ross?
Ross Stores opened 35 Ross and 12 dd’s Discounts stores across 15 states and territories during June and July, extending a spring wave of 17 openings. The off-price chain now operates 1,952 Ross stores across 44 states and 376 dd’s Discounts locations in 23 states.
What pet goods fill Ross’s off-price aisles?
Ross and dd’s Discounts both stock pet essentials such as beds, toys, litter and grooming accessories in their treasure-hunt assortments, and the square-footage growth expands low-price shelf space for private-label and branded pet goods. Every new off-price door captures the value-seeking pet owner.
Will Ross deepen Sun Belt pet catchments in 2026?
Expansion is concentrated in Sun Belt markets including California, Florida, North Carolina and Texas, where existing catchments are being deepened rather than widened into new geographies. dd’s Discounts targets the most budget-conscious shopper and is a growing outlet for entry-price pet accessories across 23 states.
Source intelligence adapted for the GlobalPetIndex pet-industry audience. Original publication: external brief.
