photo by: Chad Lawhorn/Journal-World

Burlington, the discount retailer, plans to open in November in the former Bed Bath and Beyond location on south Iowa Street, pictured on Aug. 16, 2023.

The discount clothing retailer Burlington indeed is coming to Lawrence and will locate in the former Bed Bath & Beyond location on south Iowa Street.

The company has listed on its website Nov. 10 as an opening date for the new store. The company didn’t release the location as part of its announcement, but a construction worker at the former Bed Bath & Beyond site, which is in the Pine Ridge Plaza at 33rd and Iowa streets, confirmed that was the location for the new Burlington.

That tracks with what has long been thought. I reported shortly after Bed Bath & Beyond closed late last year that Burlington was a likely tenant for the space, given that it was ranked as the third fastest-expanding retailer in 2022. Plus, I had also heard rumors in the development market that the chain was interested. That interest became evident in June when Burlington was the largest buyer of Bed Bath & Beyond leases in an auction process related to Bed Bath & Beyond’s bankruptcy proceedings.

Now, some of you may be wondering, what the heck is Burlington? Well, the chain used to be Burlington Coat Factory, but evidently somebody (I bet they were sweating a lot) determined selling coats in August wasn’t the best tactic. So, now, the company just goes by Burlington.

photo by: Shutterstock

A Burlington store in Pittsburgh, Penn. is pictured in this 2021 photo.

It sells a lot more than coats, but is pretty focused on clothing. The website lists clothing for men, women, juniors, and babies. It also has categories for shoes, handbags, cosmetics, and home department that includes everything from bedding to luggage to laundry hampers.

Probably one useful note to know about Burlington is that it generally is regarded as the third largest “off-price retailer” in the U.S. The two largest are the parent company of TJ Maxx and Ross Stores. So, if you are familiar with those stores — TJ Maxx is just around the corner from the new Burlington site — you should have a good idea of the store type. All the off-price retailers sell a lot of brand names that they purchase at a discount from manufacturers who have excess inventory.

Burlington, which is based in New Jersey, has been aggressively expanding its number of stores over the last several years. Earlier this year its CEO said the company planned to open 70 to 80 new stores in fiscal year 2023, but would like to expand even more if it could find additional retail locations.

As part of its recent announcement that includes Lawrence, it confirmed opening dates for several other stores in Kansas. The company plans to open a store in Topeka in September, and Manhattan and Olathe in October.

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photo by: Chad Lawhorn/Journal-World

The ice cream chain Baskin-Robbins plans to open in the former Sprint store location at 23rd and Ousdahl, which is pictured on Aug. 16, 2023.

While we are talking about new chains coming to Lawrence, here’s confirmation of one we reported on in May. Indeed, Baskin-Robbins is opening a Lawrence store at the corner of 23rd Street and Ousdahl Road.

Back in May, we reported seeing that listing on the Baskin-Robbins website. Now, the company has “coming soon” signs at the building at 1626 W. 23rd St. If you are having a hard time picturing the spot, it is the former Sprint phone store that is across the street from the Perkins restaurant.

Baskin-Robbins, of course, is an ice cream shop known for its scoops, cones and other such treats. While the coming soon signs are up at the site, it didn’t appear that an opening was imminent. It doesn’t look like renovation work is in full swing yet.

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I’ve also gotten word that a retailer by the name of Popshelf currently is remodeling one of the suites in Pine Ridge Plaza at 33rd and Iowa streets. I’ll work to get you more information on that in the coming days. Popshelf has a lot of home decor, beauty and body products, seasonal decorations, kitchenware, and other such items. Right now, it doesn’t look like there are any Popshelf stores in Kansas. There is one in Belton, Mo. and another in Springfield, Mo. I’ll let you know when I get more information about the company’s Lawrence plans.