Major retailers plan US store growth for 2026: A comprehensive overview

Despite widespread store closures anticipated at the start of 2026, it isn’t all doom and gloom for the US retail industry. In fact, many players still see significant market opportunities, driven by brand acquisitions, robust consumer demand, and a push to capture greater market share.

As a result, some are planning ambitious, in some cases aggressive, expansion strategies for the upcoming period. Here is an overview of what is expected in the coming year.

Nordstrom Rack

Nordstrom is continuing the expansion of its Nordstrom Rack concept with at least 14 new locations due to open across 10 US states in 2026. The strategy has been bolstered by a 6.25 billion dollar buyout between the Nordstrom family and Mexico’s El Puerto de Liverpool, which saw the company become private earlier this year.

Exact opening dates have not yet been confirmed, however, a report by USA Today suggests new locations could be set for Florida, California, Louisiana, Tennessee, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Washington, Virginia, Ohio and Maryland.

Nordstrom Rack serves as Nordstrom’s off-price division, selling unsold inventory or specially purchased items at discounted prices. The concept has become a key part of the retailer’s overarching strategy, welcoming steady growth as it continues to expand into suburban markets and shopping centres.

Uniqlo

Uniqlo is also continuing its store rollout. The Japanese retailer confirmed plans for 11 new locations in 2026, including two stores in Chicago, four in New York and another in San Francisco.

In a statement, Uniqlo’s US CEO, Fuminori Adachi, said the new stores were both a milestone in the brand’s growth and a way to honour customers who had welcomed Uniqlo to the US 20 years ago. “Our strategy is about thoughtful growth – opening the right stores in the right places – while ensuring every location reflects our customer’s voices and delivers a meaningful, high-quality experience,” Adachi added.

The new locations will push Uniqlo further towards its mission of having 200 stores in North America by 2027. The company currently operates 76 locations in the US and 32 in Canada.

Pacsun

Youth-focused retailer Pacsun has emphasised a continued reliance on brick-and-mortar after welcoming double digit growth among its US store network for 2025. As a result, the company is planning to further increase its domestic store count for the first time in 18 years, eyeing 20 to 35 new locations over the next three years. Nine leases have already been confirmed for 2026.

The news fell alongside the announcement that Pacsun is embarking on an international expansion. In partnership with Majid Al Futtaim, the retailer is planning to open 20 stores across the Middle East over the next five years, with its inaugural international store due to open in spring 2026 in Dubai.

Boardriders

After rolling out across European markets, Boardriders is due to make its return in the US. Under the guidance of its parent company Authentic Brands Group, the surf brand is reopening its Hawaiian location. The site will serve as Boardriders US flagship, offering a curated mix of brands, including Quiksilver and Billabong. Sister label Volcom will also be returning to Hawaii as part of a collaboration with local retailer Cycle City.

Bershka

Bershka is due to take its first steps into the US physical retail market next year, marking a new phase in Inditex’s long-term expansion strategy in the region. The launch will make Bershka the third Inditex brand with brick-and-mortar operations in the US. Bershka will open two stores in Miami, building on what the group describes as “excellent online performance” in the country.

“As we have mentioned on multiple occasions, the US is a very relevant market for us, where we continue to see opportunities to execute our strategy in selected markets,” Oscar García Maceiras, CEO of Inditex, said in an analyst call. Despite strong results, the group has a “low market share” in the US, meaning that future growth “is in our own hands and does not depend on market performance”, the exec added.

Burlington

On the back of improving performance in recent quarters, Burlington is embarking on a more aggressive expansion strategy for 2026, accelerating its initial plan in order to leverage growing demand for off price retail. At the beginning of December, the retailer raised its 2025 net new store outlook to 104 locations and set a new target of at least 110 net new stores for 2026.

The company is planning to take over ‘big box’ spaces that once housed failed retailers like Joann Fabrics and Bed Bath & Beyond and, in doing so, is eyeing a store count of 2,000. The expanded network will be supported by a distribution centre in the Southeast, also due to open next year. Its ongoing store refresh strategy, designed to enhance customer experience, will now continue into the coming year.

“Based on our new store pipeline, there is a possibility that we could sustain or even exceed this stronger pace of new store openings,” CEO Michael O’Sullivan said in an earnings call. Speaking on the selected sites the company plans to takeover, he added: “These incremental sites really give us confidence in sustaining the high level of growth next year. And as for the pipeline for 2027 and beyond, it’s still early to provide specific numbers, but I will say we feel very good about the long-term opportunity.”