Burlington (department store) facts for kids
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Burlington store in San Antonio, Texas
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Trade name
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Burlington |
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Formerly
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Burlington Coat Factory (1972–2009) |
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| Industry | Retail |
| Founded | 1972 (as Burlington Coat Factory) |
| Founder | Monroe Milstein |
| Headquarters | Burlington, New Jersey, U.S. |
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Number of locations
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1,000 (2021) |
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Key people
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| Products | Clothing, baby clothing, jewelry, accessories, shoes, furniture, home decor, toys, pet supply, and gifts |
| Revenue |  US$9.32 billion (2021) |
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Operating income
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US$545.30 million (2021) |
| US$408.84 million (2021) |
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| Total assets | US$7.090 billion (2021) |
| Total equity | US$760.42 million (2021) |
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Number of employees
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40,000 (2018) |
Burlington, once known as Burlington Coat Factory, is a big American store. It sells many different items at lower prices than regular department stores. This type of store is called an "off-price" retailer. Burlington has over 1,000 stores across 40 states and Puerto Rico. Its main office is in Burlington Township, New Jersey. In 2007, a company called Bain Capital bought Burlington. Later, in 2013, Burlington became a public company again, meaning its shares could be bought and sold on the stock market. Burlington is one of the largest off-price retailers, after TJX Companies (which owns TJ Maxx and Marshalls) and Ross Stores.
History of Burlington
The story of Burlington began in 1946. Monroe Milstein and his father, Abe, had a successful business selling coats.
In 1972, Monroe's wife, Henrietta, suggested they buy a factory outlet in Burlington, New Jersey. They bought it for $675,050. Henrietta used money she had saved from her job as a librarian for the down payment.
At first, the Milsteins mainly sold coats and jackets. But they wanted to sell more than just seasonal items. So, they started adding other clothes and accessories. Over time, they also began selling things for the home, gifts, baby items, and shoes.
A second store opened in 1975 in Copiague, Long Island. Monroe asked his son, Lazer, to help run this new store. Lazer agreed, but only if the store closed on Saturdays to observe the Sabbath.
By 1983, the company had 31 stores. It was known as Burlington Coat Factory Warehouse Corporation. That year, the company became public, allowing people to buy shares in it.
In 2006, a company called Bain Capital Partners bought Burlington for over $2 billion. The Milstein family made a lot of money from this sale. Monroe Milstein left the business after the sale.
In 2013, Burlington decided to offer its shares to the public again. This is called an initial public offering (IPO). On its first day of trading in October 2013, the company's stock price went up by more than 40%. At that time, Burlington had 503 stores. These stores operated under names like Burlington Coat Factory, Cohoes Fashions, Baby Depot, and MJM Designer Shoes.
In 2016, Burlington Stores joined the Fortune 500 list for the first time. This list includes the 500 largest companies in the United States.
More recently, in June 2023, Burlington bought the leases for over 40 stores that used to belong to Bed Bath & Beyond Inc.. These stores had closed down.
Helping Others
Burlington has worked with many charities for years.
- Light the Night: Since 2002, Burlington has partnered with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. They collect donations at their store checkouts for the Light the Night campaign. By 2013, the company had raised over $19 million in total for this cause.
- Warm Coats and Warm Hearts Drive: In 2006, Burlington started a program to collect coats for people who need them. Burlington stores became drop-off points for donated coats. Local charities then gave these coats to people in the area. Since this program began, over 1.2 million coats have been collected and given away.
- Women's Heart Health: In 2012, Burlington teamed up with WomenHeart. This group helps women learn about heart health. Burlington holds a yearly Red Dress Event. They sell red dresses in stores, and $1 from each sale goes to WomenHeart. In 2014, they even had a "Heart of Style Tour." A bus traveled to different stores, offering blood pressure checks and information about women's heart disease.
Company Facts and Events
- Product Labeling: At one point, there were concerns about how some products were labeled. Burlington agreed to change its advertisements to make sure labels were clear and correct.
- Old Slogan: From 1981 to 2009, Burlington Coat Factory's logo often included the words "Not Affiliated with Burlington Industries." This was part of an agreement with another company that had a similar name. Even after the other company stopped operating, Burlington kept the slogan for many years.
- Urban Legend: In the early 1990s, a story spread that snakes were hiding in coats sold at Burlington. The company explained that their stores were kept at a cool temperature, making it very unlikely for a snake to survive there.
- September 11, 2001: During the September 11 attacks, a piece of a plane that hit the World Trade Center's South Tower crashed through the roof of Burlington Coat Factory's store at 45 Park Place in New York City. This caused major damage to the building. This store was Burlington's first location in Manhattan, opened in 1991.
See also
- TJX Companies
- Ross Stores
- List of department stores of the United States
