Ross Stores, Inc. (Ross Dress for Less) – history, company profile (overview) and history video
Ross Stores, Inc. is an off-price retail chain headquartered in Dublin, California, United States. It operates off-price retail apparel and home fashion stores under the Ross Dress for Less and dd’s DISCOUNTS.
HISTORY
Ross Stores’ history traces its roots back to 1950 when Morris “Morrie” Ross opened the first Ross Department Store in San Bruno, California.
In 1958, Ross sold his store to William Isackson to become a residential and commercial real estate developer. Isackson built the company to six stores located in San Bruno, Pacifica, Novato, Vacaville, Redwood City, and Castro Valley.
In 1982, the six junior department stores in the San Francisco Bay Area were acquired and converted to the Ross Dress For Less off-price format.
In 1985, Ross Stores went public on the Nasdaq Stock Market.
In 1986, the company expanded rapidly and ended the year with 121 stores in 16 states.
By 1989, Ross operated 156 stores in 15 states.
In 1990, the company had 185 stores in 18 states.
In the 1990’s, product offerings expanded to include Home Accents, Bed & Bath, and other non-apparel categories.
By the end of 1995, Ross operated 292 stores in 18 states.
In 2000, the company had 409 stores in 17 states and Guam.
In the 2000’s, Ross entered into new markets in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic.
In 2004, Ross Stores launched dd’s DISCOUNTS.
By the end of 2010, the company had 988 Ross Dress for Less stores in 27 states and Guam, and 67 dd’s DISCOUNTS in six states.
In 2011, Ross Dress for Less entered the Midwest region, with the initial opening of 12 stores in the greater Chicago area.
By the end of 2017, the company operated a total of 149 locations in newer markets including the states of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, North and South Dakota, and Wisconsin.
In 2023, Ross Stores opened its first Ross Dress for Less stores in New York, Michigan, and Minnesota and ended the year with 1,764 Ross Dress for Less stores in 43 states, the District of Columbia, and Guam, and 345 dd’s DISCOUNTS locations in 22 states.
With more than 90,000 employees, Ross Stores, Inc. is considered one of the largest off-price retail chains in the United States. According to Forbes, it is considered one of the Largest Public Companies in the World.
*Information from Forbes.com, Wikipedia.org, and www.rossstores.com.
**Video published on YouTube by “Companies History“.