Who's Opening & Where

Yankee Candle Co. (413-665-8300) plans to open 26 additional candle stores during 2000. The 116-unit chain opened 14 stores during the first quarter of 2000.

Krystal Company (423-757-1500) plans to open as many as eight fast-food restaurants during 2000, and is seeking land acquisitions for potential openings during 2001. The company operates 255 locations serving hamburgers.

Movie Gallery Inc. (334-794-9550) remains on track to open a total of 100 stores during 2000, 24 of which were opened during the first quarter of this year.

Wild Oats Markets Inc. (303-440-5220) plans to open as many as eight specialty stores during the remainder of 2000, and is openly seeking acquisitions of other food markets with the intent to grow its Henry’s Marketplace brand by as much as 60% by the end of 2001. The company operates two store formats: supermarket and urban. The supermarket format is generally 15,000 sq.ft. to 35,000 sq.ft. and typically generates higher sales than the urban stores, which are generally 8,000 sq.ft. to 15,000 sq.ft. The company plans on opening, acquiring or relocating supermarket format stores in the future, but will consider additional urban stores when appropriate. The company is also reevaluating its clustering strategy in response to greater than expected sales and cannibalization in certain existing markets.

Nordstrom (206-628-2111) plans to open six full-line stores and 11 Nordstrom Rack locations by the end of fiscal year 2000 (ending January 31, 2001). The openings should increase the gross square footage of the company’s stores by 10%. Presently the compnay operates 72 full-line stores, 28 Nordstrom Rack stores, three Faconnable boutiques, two freestanding shoe stores and one clearance store. The company plans to replace its 110,000 sq.ft. store in Murray’s Fashion Place Mall in Salt Lake City, UT and open a 144,000 sq.ft. store on two levels at the same facility during the Fall of 2002. The company also plans to open a store at University Mall in Orem, UT during 2002 as well.

Bradlees, Inc. (781-380-3000) plans to open a 90,000 sq.ft. store at Northeast Tower Center located at the intersection of Roosevelt Boulevard and Adams Avenue in Philadelphia, PA during the latter part of 2000 or early 2001. The opening is subject to regional construction demands.

City Furniture (800-930-4233) plans to open four stores in the tri-county region of South FL in the near future. The four stores will open in Pembroke Pines, Broward, Dade and South Palm Beach counties and will be supported by a 600,000 sq.ft. headquarters and distribution center currently under construction overlooking the Sawgrass Expressway in Tamarac, FL. Currently, the company operates 17 stores.

Walgreens (847-940-2500), which plans to open a total of 450 stores nationwide this year, opened its 3,000th store, located in the Greektown neighborhood of Chicago, IL.

The Children’s Place (201-558-2400) opened 43 stores during the first quarter of 2000, and remains on track to open a total of 100 stores during 2000 and 120 stores during 2001.

Home Depot (770-433-8211) plans to open a second location in Stockton, CA on Feather Ridge Drive northwest of the Interstate 5 interchange by year’s end.

Kohl’s (262-703-7000) plans to open as many as 21 stores during the third quarter of 2000 in existing markets including the midwest, midatlantic and CT, NJ, and NY.

Krispy Kreme (336-725-2981) has signed development agreements to open at least two stores in four new markets. The company, which is franchising, will take a minority equity position in the new entities.

Wal*Mart (501-273-4000) plans to open a 208,000 sq.ft. supercenter on 29 acres located at the intersection of U.S. Route 287 and Little Road in Arlington, TX. The company faces local opposition and the opening is contingent upon approval from the city’s planning and zoning commission.

Dave & Buster’s (214-357-9588) recently opened a 40,000 sq.ft. restaurant/entertainment center in Westminster, CO. The company plans to open additional units in San Diego, CA and Pittsburgh, PA later this year, as well as launching two licensed international locations in Canada and Germany.

Bed Bath & Beyond (908-688-0888) plans to open a 30,500 sq.ft. store on North University Street next to Schnuck’s Peoria SuperCenter in Peoria, IL during September of this year.

Jacobson’s (517-764-6400) plans to open its third store in the Orlando, FL market and its first store in the Cincinnati/Dayton, OH market during Fall 2001. In addition, the company plans to relocate its store in Lansing, MI to Meridian Mall to better serve the mid-MI market, and expects completion by the holiday shopping season.

Toys ‘R’ Us, Inc. (201-599-7850) will open 20 Babies ‘R’ Us stores during 2000, and plans to convert 70 USA toy stores to C-3 combination stores by the end of 2000.

Safeway (925-467-3000) plans to open a supermarket across the street from the company’s current location in Alamosa, CO. The plan had been meeting opposition from a local group who felt that the Alamosa city council was guilty of "spot zoning" when it agreed to rezone the eight-acre site where the new supermarket will be built. The site, which is almost completely surrounded on three sides by residences and which formerly housed a middle school, has been unoccupied since 1996.

Talbot’s (781-749-7600) anticipates opening 55 stores during fiscal year 2000, which is three more than the company originally planned to open. The increase is traced to the strength of the company’s newest concept, Talbot’s Woman. The company had planned to open six Talbot’s Woman stores this year, but will now open nine.

Gottschalks, Inc. (559-434-8000) has received approval to purchase 37 of the 38 stores of Lamonts Apparel, Inc., which trades as Lamonts. The company will take possession of the stores during July. Following liquidations, the stores will be converted to the Gottschalks format and will be opened in stages beginning August 2000, with all stores expected to be open by the end of September.

PETCO (858-677-3000) opened 17 superstores during the first quarter of fiscal year 2000, and the company plans to continue that rate of expansion for the foreseeable future.

Sam & Libby Footwear Boutiques (770-801-1200) plans to open four stores during the current quarter of this year, and an additional six stores by the end of 2000. The company operates 60 ladies shoe stores and locates primarily in malls.

Shoe Carnival (812-867-6471) expects to open approximately 30 stores by year’s end. 13 of the stores are planned for existing markets. Of the 17 stores in new markets, 11 will be concentrated in LA, OK and TX.

Elder-Beerman (937-296-2700) plans to open its second concept store in West Bend, WI during Fall 2000. The company also plans to open a store in Howell, MI during Fall.

Constellation Concepts (415-924-6600), which recently purchased California Cafe Restaurant Corporation, expects to grow its two white tablecloth concepts, Napa Valley Grille and California Cafe, by more than 25% this year, opening California Cafes in upscale malls and Napa Valley Grilles in freestanding facilities nationwide.