Ross Stores

What Ross Stores does

Ross Stores, Inc. is the largest off-price apparel and home fashion retailer in the United States, operating two banners, Ross Dress for Less (approximately 1,917 locations) and dd's DISCOUNTS (approximately 365 locations), for a footprint of roughly 2,300 stores across 37 states plus the District of Columbia and Guam as of mid-2026. The company sources overstock, packaway, and closeout merchandise directly from manufacturers and department stores at 20-60% below wholesale and resells it through a deliberately low-frills, treasure-hunt in-store experience without window displays, mannequins, or premium fixtures, with new inventory arriving frequently to drive repeat visits. Ross does not sell merchandise online, instead focusing on physical retail, an Amazon pickup pilot at select locations, gift cards ($10-$150 denominations), and a co-branded Ross Credit Card and Ross Mastercard issued by Comenity Capital Bank that powers a Ross Rewards loyalty program offering 5% back on Ross purchases.

The underlying operating model is built on the buyer expertise of its sourcing organization and a network of 7 distribution centers, supported by approximately 100,000+ associates. The core revenue stream is one-time retail merchandise sales to value-conscious consumers, primarily middle and moderate-income households but increasingly Gen Z shoppers, with the Ross credit card adding a small but high-margin payments revenue layer. Pricing is set per unit at fixed off-price points rather than via subscriptions or contracts, and customer relationships are governed by standard retail credit terms and a no-e-commerce merchandise policy.

Governance, capital allocation, and growth strategy are oriented to shareholder returns and disciplined unit growth. Ross has paid dividends for 33 consecutive years, is a component of the S&P 500, Fortune 500, and Nasdaq 100, and in March 2026 authorized a new $2.55 billion share repurchase program. Management has guided to approximately 110 new store openings in fiscal 2026, against a long-term white-space target of roughly 3,600 total stores, and is opportunistically absorbing retail real estate vacated by drugstore closures via A&G Real Estate Partners. Q1 FY2026 results showed revenue of $6.01 billion (up 20.6% year-over-year), comparable store sales growth of 17% (a 40-year record), and operating margin of 13.4%, materially above the company's planned 11.8-12.1% range.

Name

Ross Stores

Legal name

Ross Stores, Inc.

Website

https://rossstores.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Ross Stores is the largest U.S. off-price apparel and home fashion retailer, operating approximately 2,300 Ross Dress for Less and dd's DISCOUNTS stores selling brand-name merchandise at 20-60% below department store prices to value-conscious middle-income, moderate-income, and Gen Z consumers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Off-Price Retail

NAICS

Department Stores (45511), Clothing and Clothing Accessories Retailers (458110)

SIC

Retail-Department Stores (5311), Retail-Apparel & Accessory Stores (5600)

akta.pro primary industry

Off-Price Department Store Chains (National) (CRAGAEAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Off-Price Department Stores (Broadline) (CRAGAEAA), Off-Price Department Stores (Apparel-Led) (CRAEABAB), Off-Price Family Apparel & Value Fashion Retailers (CRAEABAF)

Keywords

• Off-price retail
• Discount apparel
• Home fashion
• Brand-name merchandise
• Treasure hunt shopping

Headquarters

HQ city

Dublin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Retail Merchandise Sales: Ross Stores generates revenue through retail sales of off-price apparel, accessories, footwear, and home goods. The company purchases surplus inventory from manufacturers and department stores at significant discounts and sells to consumers at 20-60% below department store prices.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Ross Stores operates an off-price retail chain in the United States through two banners: Ross Dress for Less (approximately 1,917 stores) and dd's DISCOUNTS (approximately 365 stores). The company purchases surplus and overstock inventory directly from manufacturers and department stores at significant discounts, then resells brand-name apparel, footwear, accessories, and home goods to consumers at 20-60% below department store prices. A constant flow of new merchandise arrives almost daily to create a treasure-hunt shopping experience.

Product overview

Ross Stores operates as an off-price retail company offering a portfolio of two distinct brands: Ross Dress for Less (the nation's largest off-price retail chain with approximately 1,917 locations) and dd's DISCOUNTS (with 365 stores). The core offering centers on high-quality department and specialty store brand-name merchandise at 20-60% below department store prices, with new buys arriving almost daily. Supplementary offerings include the Ross Credit Card and Ross Mastercard (co-branded payment products issued by Comenity Capital Bank), the Ross Rewards loyalty program, and Ross Gift Cards. The company maintains an 'off-price' business model working directly with manufacturers to negotiate best deals, passing savings to customers without frills like window displays or mannequins.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ross Dress for Less The largest off-price apparel and home fashion chain in the United States, offering high-quality department and specialty store brand-name apparel, footwear, accessories, and home fashion at savings of 20-60% below department store prices. Approximately 1,917 store locations as of May 2026.
• dd's DISCOUNTS

Quantifiable outcome

• Comparable store sales increased 17% in Q1 2026, the strongest performance in 40-year history
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• A&G Real Estate PartnersminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 14 May 2026Ross Stores utilizes A&G Real Estate Partners for competitive lease auctions and property transactions to expand store footprint. A&G facilitates transactions as millions of square feet become available from U.S. drugstore closures including Rite Aid and Walgreens locations.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of AmericacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing national partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) spanning over 40 years. Ross has raised and donated over $46 million since 2015 to help children achieve academic success, build confidence, and lead healthy lives. Partnership includes local club collaborations across store communities.
• First BookcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership with First Book organization to provide books to children near Ross Stores. Company has provided over 2.5 million books to children through this partnership supporting youth literacy and educational access.
• Comenity Capital BankcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorComenity Capital Bank issues Ross Credit Card and Ross Mastercard through a co-brand partnership. The bank manages credit card approvals, billing, payments, and rewards programs for Ross customers.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• The TJX Companies: The world's largest off-price apparel and home retailer, operating TJ Maxx, Marshalls, HomeGoods, and Sierra. Direct head-to-head competitor of Ross in the U.S. off-price department-store channel with similar treasure-hunt, opportunistic-buying model.
• Burlington Stores: U.S. off-price apparel and home retailer operating ~1,000+ stores with a similar closeout-buying and value-positioning model. Closest like-for-like competitor to Ross in target customer and merchandise mix.

Broad incumbents

• Nordstrom (Nordstrom Rack): Operates Nordstrom Rack off-price banner alongside full-line department stores. Overlaps with Ross in off-price apparel but with a more fashion-tilted assortment and stronger omni-channel capability.
• Macy's: Iconic U.S. department-store chain and one of the primary suppliers of branded inventory to off-price retailers like Ross. Competes indirectly for value-conscious shoppers via its own promotional pricing and Backstage off-price concept.
• Kohl's: Mid-tier U.S. department-store chain offering national and private-label apparel, footwear, and home at value price points. Targets a similar middle-income consumer to Ross, but through a fixed-price full-line format.
• Walmart: Largest U.S. retailer with broad apparel and home assortments at value price points. Competes for the same budget-conscious shopper, but with a full-price/grocery-anchored format and significant e-commerce scale.
• Costco Wholesale: Membership warehouse club selling apparel, home, and general merchandise at value prices. Overlaps with Ross on discretionary value-driven general merchandise for middle-income households.
• Dollar Tree: Deep-value multi-price discount retailer carrying limited assortment across consumables, household, and seasonal. Competes for the most price-sensitive consumers that also shop dd's DISCOUNTS.

Emerging players

• Five Below: U.S. extreme-value retailer targeting teens and pre-teens with trend-right merchandise priced at $5 and below. Adjacent to Ross's value thesis and Gen Z customer overlap, but in a different price-and-category niche.
• Big Lots: Broadline closeout retailer offering extreme-value merchandise across home, apparel, and consumables. Operates a buying model similar in spirit to Ross's, though with a heavier home and consumables tilt and smaller footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/rossdressforless
• Instagraminstagram.com/Ross
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ross-stores

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ross Stores