Fashion Director

Burlington moving headquarters from NJ to Philadelphia (updated). The basics: * Burlington is moving its headquarters from South Jersey to Philadelphia * $370M relocation is expected to create 2,000 jobs in Pennsylvania * Keystone State is offering Burlington $30M in incentives * NJ business leaders call the move a loss and wake-up call Off-price retailer Burlington is relocating its corporate headquarters from South Jersey to Philadelphia in a $370 million move that Pennsylvania officials say will bring at least 2,000 jobs to the city over the next five years. Formerly known as Burlington Coat Factory, the 54-year-old chain sells discounted and branded apparel, footwear, accessories and home goods. Its footprint of more than 1,300 stores throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico includes 57 locations in New Jersey. In 2024, the chain kicked off an expansion push to add 500 new stores over the next four years. Since then, it has launched an average of 100 sites annually. Now, as one of the nation's fastest-growing retailers, the chain said it has outgrown its longtime base on Route 130 and started searching for a new location about a year ago. In a statement provided to NJBIZ on Sept. 3, the company said it selected the City of Brotherly Love as its new home "because of its huge pool of talent, proximity to other major metropolitan areas and the city's energy and ambition that matches Burlington's growth trajectory." Burlington now expects to purchase a Brandywine Realty Trust-developed office and lab tower at 3151 Market St. The company said it will take a phased approach to moving teams to the new space beginning no earlier than the end of 2028 or early 2029. "We are very excited to be relocating our corporate headquarters to Philadelphia," said Burlington CEO Michael O'Sullivan. "[A]s we evaluated different options for our new corporate home, we were strongly attracted to the energy, talent, and infrastructure that Philadelphia has to offer. Add to that, we found the vision and priorities articulated by the Mayor and the Governor extremely compelling - fiscal health, education and training, and economic opportunity for all. We look forward to supporting and being part of that vision." 'Open for business' Shapiro described the move as "the largest headquarters relocation to the city in years." Of the 20 Fortune 500 companies in Pennsylvania, two - Comcast and Aramark - are in Philadelphia, according to the governor. The state's Department of Community and Economic Development enticed Burlington with $30 million in incentives - a $20 million Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program grant and a $10 million Pennsylvania First grant, the governor's office said. "Pennsylvania is competing to win - and today, we're delivering a major win for Philadelphia and our Commonwealth," Shapiro said. "Our economic development strategy makes smart, targeted investments to make choosing Pennsylvania an easy yes for major companies like Burlington, create good-paying jobs in our Commonwealth, and strengthen our communities. It's working - and we're going to keep showing the world that Pennsylvania is open for business." Parker characterized Burlington's decision as "a powerful vote of confidence in our city and our people." Philadelphia is giving the company $7 million in the form of a forgivable loan, as well as a Job Creation Tax Credit worth 2% of annual wages or $5,000 per new job created, whichever is higher, up to a specified limit. Additionally, SEPTA and the Philadelphia Parking Authority stepped up to offer deeply discounted commuter savings for new Burlington employees in the city. Heading out of state. * Samsung Electronics America is relocating its U.S. headquarters to Texas. The company said it is consolidating operations at an existing Texas campus as part of a broader business transformation. * ExxonMobil also recently decided to move its state of incorporation from New Jersey to Texas. The oil and gas giant has spent several years shifting leadership, workforce and R&D operations there. * Meanwhile, Mars Wrigley is in the process of winding down its U.S. headquarters in Newark as part of a broader effort to combine key corporate functions in Chicago. The company plans on maintaining its offices and factory in Hackettstown. Burlington isn't leaving New Jersey entirely, though. Along with 57 retail stores, the company has a warehouse in Logan and distribution center in Edgewater Park. In a statement to NBC, Burlington shared, "This is in no way a reflection of the current business climate in New Jersey and Burlington looks forward to continued warm relations with New Jersey state government. Burlington currently has 8,000 associates in New Jersey, and a portion of these will eventually transition to the new HQ in Philadelphia. The 2,000 jobs created in Philadelphia represent a combination of migration and growth." This is in no way a reflection of the current business climate in New Jersey and Burlington looks forward to continued warm relations with New Jersey state government. - Burlington statement to NBC 'Very sad' New Jersey Business & Industry Association President and CEO Michele Siekerka said in a statement, "It is very sad that New Jersey is losing Burlington Stores, which is an iconic brand in our state named for one of our own municipalities, as well as another Fortune 500 company." "While corporations make these decisions for a myriad of reasons, we cannot and should not ignore the impact our state's tax policies and anti-business policies have on our overall competitiveness. Nor should we diminish the loss of executive presence in our state, the number of new jobs that New Jersey will not have, and the amount of property tax lost from a 441,000-foot facility," she said. "Obviously, New Jersey maintains the highest corporate tax rate in the nation at 11.5%, while Pennsylvania is on a course to lower its top rate down to 4.9%," Siekerka continued. "We have often said that many businesses do have the opportunity to move just across the river for a more competitive business environment, and we can certainly assume that figured into the decision here." 'Deeply disappointing' for South Jersey. Christina Renna, president and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce Southern New Jersey, added, "Burlington Stores' decision to relocate its corporate headquarters from its longtime home of Burlington County to Philadelphia is deeply disappointing for the South Jersey business community and should serve as a wake-up call for policymakers in Trenton. "New Jersey does not compete for jobs and investment in a vacuum," she continued. "Our neighboring states are aggressively pursuing businesses with competitive tax structures, economic incentives and policies designed to attract investment and encourage growth. Pennsylvania's willingness to make a significant investment to attract Burlington demonstrates just how intense that competition has become." Renna added that CCSNJ has warned - "for years" - about the impact of the Garden State's taxes and "regulatory burdens" but "remains committed to working with Governor Sherrill and the Legislature to ensure New Jersey is a place where companies not only want to start and grow but choose to stay." Editor's note: This story was updated at 2:23 p.m. Sept. 3, 2026, with more details about Burlington's move, background and reactions.

Burlington Stores relocating corporate headquarters from New Jersey to Philadelphia. Officials say this deal is the largest headquarters relocation to Philadelphia in years By Amanda Pitts Thursday, September 3, 2026 10:10AM PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) - State and city leaders are celebrating a major economic win Thursday after Burlington Stores agreed to relocate its corporate headquarters to Philadelphia's University City. Officials say this will bring hundreds of new jobs to the area, bringing a big economic boost for Philadelphia. The company will move its headquarters from New Jersey to 3151 Market St., in the heart of Schuylkill Yards. "As the size and complexity of our business has increased, we've outgrown our old corporate headquarters," Burlington CEO, Michael O'Sullivan said. The campus is where the company bought property, bringing at least 2,000 jobs to the city. "The company expects to relocate approximately 1,600 employees to Philadelphia, with the potential to grow," Mayor Cherelle Parker said during the announcement on Thursday, adding, "Burlington, welcome home to Philadelphia!" The company says the $370 million investment will create at least 2,000 jobs over the next five years. "Two thousand new jobs - 2,000 new Birds fans - coming right here," Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro said. The state is investing $30 million to make the deal happen. The city is adding another $7 million through a forgivable loan, along with tax incentives. Even SEPTA is stepping in, with discounted benefits for Burlington employee commuters. "In 2026, we will open another 115 new stores and will hire about 5,000 new associates across the country," O'Sullivan said. Officials say this deal is the largest headquarters relocation to Philadelphia in years. Burlington has roughly 1,300 stores across 47 states.

Burlington to open Augusta store later this month. The addition of the story brings the Turnpike Mall's occupancy to nearly full. Community: Posted 4:00 AM Staff Report Off-price retailer Burlington has announced it will open its third location Sept. 25 in Augusta. The department store, the company's third in Maine to date, will fill the space left vacant in the Turnpike Mall by Bed, Bath & Beyond. The addition brings occupancy of the mall on Whitten Road to nearly full. "What's important from our standpoint is that less than five years ago, the Western Avenue corridor was home to three distressed retail properties," Keith Luke, economic development director for the City of Augusta, said. "And today we are home to precisely no distressed retail properties. That is a remarkable turn-around." The Turnpike Mall, at the corner of Whitten Road and Western Avenue, was one of the three; the others were the Shaw's Plaza and the Kmart Plaza, also on Western Avenue. In recent years, Sears and the Christmas Tree Shops closed in the Turnpike Mall, and since then, retailers like Hobby Lobby and Ocean State Job Lot have moved in. Burlington, whose opening was announced earlier this summer, offers a wide selection of discounted clothes, home goods, and other merchandise at discounted prices. The Augusta location will also feature Burlington's new "reimagined" store design, which is part of an effort by the company to modernize its stores across the country. According to the company's news release, the new look consists of wider, more organized aisles and bold signage to make store navigation easier for customers. More than half of Burlington's existing stores have already been converted to this new design, with the rest slotted to be updated by the end of 2026. The Augusta store will open with the new format already in place. The new location comes as Burlington continues to expand across the U.S. The company plans to open 110 net new stores nationwide, all with the "fresh" new look. "What we're seeing, not just in Augusta but on a national basis, is that prices of these facilities have stabilized and management - the people who have purchased them - have aggressively tenanted them and they are finding success with both realistic pricing the properties they have acquired and the lease rates they are charging." That adds up to almost fully occupied retail facilities, he said. For the last 25 years, discussion about retail focused on the death of traditional, brick and mortar stores as internet retail took hold. In Augusta, as elsewhere in Maine, retail has found its footing and that's great news, he said. The New Jersey-based retailer is currently seeking employees to staff the store. Correspondent Cayley Bowman contributed to this report.