Burlington Coat Factory: Assembly Secrets

Burlington, formerly known as Burlington Coat Factory, is an American national off-price department store retailer with over 1,000 stores in 40 states and Puerto Rico. The company's roots go back to 1924 when it was founded as a wholesaler of ladies' coats and junior suits. In 1972, Burlington Coat Factory opened its first store in Burlington, New Jersey, and by 1982, the company's annual sales exceeded $130 million. Over time, the company expanded its merchandise categories and rebranded itself as Burlington Stores in 2015 to communicate that it offers more than just coats. Today, Burlington sells discounted brand-name shoes, clothing, baby furniture, and accessories, operating under different brand names such as MJM Designer Shoes, Cohoes Fashions, and Super Baby Depot.

Burlington Coat Factory's history

Burlington, formerly known as Burlington Coat Factory, is an American national off-price department store retailer. The company's roots go back to 1924 when it was founded as a wholesaler of ladies' coats and junior suits. In 1972, Burlington Coat Factory opened its first store in Burlington, New Jersey, selling a broad range of first-quality, branded outerwear for the family at discounted prices. The company's initial strategy paid off, with first-year sales totalling $1.5 million.

In 1975, a second location was opened in Copiague on Long Island, and by 1982, the company's annual sales had exceeded $130 million. The company went public for the first time in 1983, operating 31 stores at the time. With the capital raised, the company doubled its store count to 68 by 1985. By the end of the 1980s, Burlington Coat Factory had expanded its reach to 37 states, with net sales surpassing $600 million.

The company continued its rapid growth into the 2000s, operating 362 stores in 42 states and generating $3.2 billion in annual sales by 2005. In 2006, Bain Capital acquired Burlington Coat Factory, and the company was taken private. The Milstein family, who had been involved with the company since its early days, made significant profits from the sale, with holdings of nearly 30 million shares.

In 2012, the company celebrated the opening of its 500th store, and the following year, it went public for the second time. The company rebranded itself from Burlington Coat Factory to Burlington Stores to communicate that it offered more than just coats. In recent years, Burlington has continued to thrive, surpassing $5 billion in sales in 2015 and setting a target of 2,000 stores in the long term.

Burlington Coat Factory's locations

Burlington Coat Factory is a leading off-price retailer with nearly 800 stores nationwide. The company specializes in offering popular brands at discounted prices, with a wide range of products for the entire family and home. The retailer has a significant presence in Nashua, New Hampshire, with multiple stores in the area.

One Burlington Coat Factory store in Nashua is located at 51 Gusabel Avenue, NH 03063. This particular store offers a variety of clothing, including ladies', men's, kids', and baby apparel, as well as beauty products, shoes, accessories, home décor, and gifts. The store is open seven days a week, with hours ranging from 9:00 am to 10:00 pm or 11:00 pm, depending on the day.

Another Burlington Coat Factory location in Nashua can be found at 231 Daniel Webster Highway, Unit 1. While specific operating hours for this location are not provided, it is understood that the store is open for business.

In addition to the Nashua locations, Burlington Coat Factory has a presence in nearby Merrimack, New Hampshire. The company's website and other sources mention the existence of Burlington Coat Factory stores in this area, but specific addresses and details are not provided. However, it is stated that these stores offer similar discounts and brand selections as other locations.

Furthermore, there are references to Burlington Coat Factory stores in Manchester, NH, and Leominster, MA. The Manchester location is listed as 777 South Willow Street, Manchester, NH 03103, while specific details for the Leominster store are not provided.

Burlington Coat Factory's rebrand

Burlington Coat Factory, an American national off-price department store retailer, rebranded to Burlington in 2014. The company, which was founded in 1924 as a wholesaler of ladies' coats and junior suits, had expanded its product range significantly by the late 1990s. At that point, coat sales only accounted for 20% of their total revenue.

In 2009, the company had already dropped the term "coat factory" from its name to emphasise its expanded assortment. However, it was only in 2014 that the company officially rebranded as Burlington, aiming to communicate that it offers "more than just coats". The rebrand included a new logo without the words "coat factory", which was introduced at some remodelled older locations.

The company's strategic foundation as a multi-category off-price retailer included a focus on reducing comparable store inventories, accelerating new store openings in a smaller store footprint, increasing its merchandising headcount, and growing key underdeveloped categories such as home and ladies' apparel. This strategy aimed to improve the customer shopping experience and increase store productivity.

By 2015, Burlington had surpassed $5 billion in sales, and in 2016, it joined the Fortune 500 for the first time. As of 2024, the company operates more than 1,000 stores in 40 states and Puerto Rico, with its corporate headquarters in Burlington Township, New Jersey.

Burlington Coat Factory's acquisitions

Burlington Coat Factory, now known simply as Burlington, has been acquired several times throughout its history. The company was founded in 1924 as a wholesaler of ladies' coats and junior suits, but it wasn't until 1972 that the company, now owned by the Milstein family, opened its first retail store in Burlington, New Jersey. Over the next three decades, Burlington Coat Factory expanded across the United States, and by 2005, it operated 362 stores in 42 states, with $3.2 billion in annual sales.

In 2006, the company was acquired by Bain Capital Partners LLC, a global private investment firm, for $2.06 billion. The acquisition was a take-private transaction, with Bain Capital acquiring all outstanding shares of the company. At the time, Burlington Coat Factory had expanded beyond coats and offered a broad selection of branded apparel and other products across multiple departments. The company's stores primarily operated under the "Burlington Coat Factory" name, but it also ran MJM Designers Shoes, Cohoes Fashions, and the Super Baby Depot.

Following the acquisition, Burlington Coat Factory continued to expand and evolve. In 2012, the company opened its 500th store, and in 2013, it went public for the second time. The company also rebranded itself as Burlington Stores to communicate that it offered more than just coats. In 2015, Burlington surpassed $5 billion in sales, and in 2016, it joined the Fortune 500 for the first time.

In 2023, Burlington continued its expansion by purchasing the leases for over 40 closed Bed Bath & Beyond store locations. This move allowed the company to further grow its physical presence across the United States.

Burlington Coat Factory's charitable partnerships

Burlington, formerly known as Burlington Coat Factory, has a strong tradition of giving back to its communities and has been partnering with charitable organizations for several years. The company has established philanthropic programs and also responds rapidly to unexpected disasters. Here are some of Burlington's charitable partnerships:

Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS)

Burlington has been partnering with LLS, the world's largest voluntary health organization dedicated to fighting blood cancer, since 2002. They collect donations at checkout and also hold an annual fundraiser from July to October. As of 2018, they had raised nearly $38 million, with $5.1 million of that raised in 2018 alone.

Warm Coats & Warm Hearts Coat Drive & Toy Drive

Since 2006, Burlington has been collecting new and gently used coats in stores nationwide and donating them to those in need within the communities they serve. They partner with ABC's Good Morning America and Delivering Good for this initiative. Since its inception, over 2.2 million coats have been collected and distributed, with 215,000 of those collected in 2018.

Fundación Infantil Ronald McDonald Puerto Rico

Since 2013, Burlington stores in Puerto Rico have hosted a holiday toy drive for children and their families at Fundación Infantil Ronald McDonald. Over five years, they have donated more than 50,000 new toys.

AdoptAClassroom.org

Burlington has partnered with AdoptAClassroom.org during the back-to-school season for the past 7 years. They have collected more than $12 million, providing educational materials to over 1.1 million students and approximately 6,000 teachers.

Delivering Good

Burlington has been a long-time partner of Delivering Good, a national non-profit that provides merchandise to individuals and families impacted by poverty and tragedy. They match new stores with local agencies, who then receive pallets of new merchandise. Since the program's inception in 2011, Burlington has donated more than 2,000 pallets of merchandise to over 250 local agencies.

WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease

Since 2012, Burlington has partnered with WomenHeart to promote women's heart health education during National Heart Health Month. They hold a yearly Red Dress Event, where $1 from every red dress sold is donated to WomenHeart.

Community Partners Program

Through this program, Burlington assists charitable organizations and government agencies that need to purchase large quantities of merchandise or gift cards to help those they serve.

Other Initiatives

Burlington also launched its Coat Event in 2023, donating a new coat to a child in need for the first 50,000 coats purchased in their stores during a period in November. They also have partnerships with YouthBuild and Her Honor, and support various disaster relief efforts.

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