Citi Trends
Citi Trends is a US off-price value retailer operating nearly 600 neighborhood stores in 33 states, selling apparel, accessories, and home goods at discount to value-conscious Black families and lower-income consumers.
- Company typePublic
- Founded1958
- HeadquartersSavannah, United States
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Citi Trends does
Citi Trends, Inc. (NASDAQ: CTRN) is a US off-price value retailer of urban fashion apparel, shoes, accessories, and home décor, headquartered in Savannah, Georgia, with a buying office in New York. The company operates a single-concept physical-store model of nearly 600 neighborhood-based stores averaging 12,000 square feet across 33 states, primarily in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic regions, and supports these stores through two distribution centers in Roland, Oklahoma and Darlington, South Carolina. Citi Trends has no e-commerce channel and sells exclusively through in-store transactions, with merchandise sourced through traditional off-price buying and vendor drop-ship arrangements directly to stores.
The company's customer base centers on value-conscious Black families and lower-income US consumers seeking brand-name and trend-right merchandise at discounted prices; the assortment and community engagement programs (Black History Makers Grant, CITIcares, Citi Jingle Contest) are tailored to that demographic. Pricing follows a unit-pricing, pay-at-point-of-sale model, with revenue generated entirely through one-time retail transactions at the cash register. The technology stack centers on an AI-based inventory management system applied to merchandising and store operations, and the company has recently modernized its leadership by appointing David Makuen as CEO to execute a turnaround and by adding Benjamin Faw to the board with digital and technology expertise under a cooperation agreement with 10% shareholder Fund 1 Investments.
Commercially, Citi Trends is in a clear recovery and expansion phase: fiscal 2025 sales reached $820.0 million with net income of $5.2 million (versus a $43.2 million net loss in fiscal 2024), Q1 2026 revenue rose 14.4% year-over-year to $230.9 million, comparable store sales grew 13.9% marking 21 consecutive months of positive growth, and adjusted EBITDA more than doubled to $13.9 million in Q1 2026. Management has guided to $35-40 million of full-year 2026 adjusted EBITDA while opening 25 new stores and remodeling 50 in 2026 and accelerating to approximately 40 new stores in 2027.
Citi Trends firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Citi Trends
- Legal name
- Citi Trends, Inc.
- Website
- https://cititrends.com
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 1958
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- Citi Trends is a US off-price value retailer operating nearly 600 neighborhood stores in 33 states, selling apparel, accessories, and home goods at discount to value-conscious Black families and lower-income consumers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Citi Trends industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Off-Price Retail
- NAICS
- Clothing, Clothing Accessories, Shoe, and Jewelry Retailers (458)
- SIC
- Retail-Apparel & Accessory Stores (5600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Off-Price Luxury / Designer Resale & Discount Boutiques (CRAEABAE)
Keywords
Where Citi Trends is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Savannah
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
Citi Trends business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Retail product sales: Traditional brick-and-mortar retail revenue from selling apparel, accessories, and home goods at off-price values. Revenue generated through in-store transactions with customers paying at point of sale.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Off-price retail pricing |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Citi Trends product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Citi Trends operates nearly 600 neighborhood-based off-price retail stores across 33 US states, each averaging approximately 12,000 square feet. The company sells trend-right apparel, shoes, accessories, and home décor at value prices, with a differentiated focus on Black consumers and value-conscious families. Merchandise is sourced through a New York buying office and distributed via two regional distribution centers.
Product overview
Citi Trends is a single-concept off-price value retailer offering apparel, accessories, and home goods across nearly 600 neighborhood-based stores in 33 states. The company operates a unified retail model without modular products or add-on services; its core product is the in-store shopping experience featuring trend-right merchandise at discounted prices. Headquartered in Savannah, Georgia with a buying office in New York, the company targets value-conscious consumers with a differentiated focus on the Black consumer demographic.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- CITIcares: Corporate social responsibility initiative focused on education, healthcare, employment, and community exposure in underserved communities.
Products and services
- Citi Trends Off-Price Retail Stores Citi Trends operates nearly 600 neighborhood-based retail stores across 33 states, each averaging approximately 12,000 square feet. Stores offer apparel, footwear, accessories, and home décor at off-price value prices, targeting value-conscious consumers with a differentiated focus on the Black consumer demographic.
Quantifiable outcome
- 21 consecutive months of positive comparable store sales growth
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Citi Trends
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Citi Trends technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Citi Trends partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators9 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Citi Trends competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Big Lots: Closeout discount retailer of furniture, home, and consumables serving value-conscious consumers; overlapping off-price/closeout model and target demographic.
- Ross Stores: Operates Ross Dress for Less and dd's DISCOUNTS off-price chains; a direct off-price apparel and home peer serving similar value-seeking shoppers with similar merchandise sourcing economics.
- Dollar General: Small-format discount retailer targeting lower-income rural and suburban shoppers; comparable customer base and value-pricing model, though primarily consumables rather than apparel.
- Five Below: Value-priced retailer targeting lower-income and teen/family shoppers with trend-right merchandise under $5; comparable business model and customer demographic to Citi Trends.
- Ollie's Bargain Outlet: Closeout retailer offering brand-name merchandise at deep discounts; comparable off-price/closeout model with similar value-conscious customer base and expanding store base.
- Dollar Tree: Multi-price-point discount retailer serving lower-income US consumers with a broad mix of household, apparel-adjacent, and discretionary goods; overlaps on demographic and value positioning.
- Burlington Stores: US off-price apparel and home retailer operating ~1,000 stores; directly comparable to Citi Trends on the off-price model, target value-conscious consumer, and apparel/home merchandise mix.
Broad incumbents
- The TJX Companies: Largest US off-price operator (T.J. Maxx, Marshalls, HomeGoods); competes in the same off-price apparel and home category with far greater scale and broader demographic reach.
- Macy's: National department store carrying apparel, accessories, and home goods; serves some overlapping mid-tier customers and competes for the same discretionary dollar despite different pricing model.
- Dillard's: Regional department store with apparel and home assortments concentrated in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic—the same geographic core as Citi Trends—making it a relevant incumbent competitor.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Citi Trends social profiles
Digital presenceCiti Trends financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Citi Trends leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Citi Trends funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Citi Trends M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Citi Trends
What does Citi Trends do?
Citi Trends operates nearly 600 neighborhood-based off-price retail stores across 33 US states, each averaging approximately 12,000 square feet. The company sells trend-right apparel, shoes, accessories, and home décor at value prices, with a differentiated focus on Black consumers and value-conscious families. Merchandise is sourced through a New York buying office and distributed via two regional distribution centers.
Is Citi Trends a public or private company?
Citi Trends is a public company. It is classified as public and is currently operating.
When was Citi Trends founded?
Citi Trends was founded in 1958. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is Citi Trends based?
Citi Trends is headquartered in Savannah, United States, in the North America region.
How does Citi Trends make money?
One revenue line is on record: retail product sales.
Who are Citi Trends's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Big Lots, Ross Stores, Dollar General, Five Below, Ollie's Bargain Outlet, Dollar Tree and Burlington Stores. Broad incumbents are The TJX Companies, Macy's and Dillard's.
Does Citi Trends have an API?
No public API is recorded for Citi Trends.
What industry is Citi Trends in?
Citi Trends's product category is Off-Price Retail. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAEABAE, Off-Price Luxury / Designer Resale & Discount Boutiques. Its NAICS code is 458 and its SIC code is 5600.