Ross stages its first fashion presentation in New York in an off-price push upmarket

Ross Stores, long the most no-frills of America’s big off-price chains, staged its first elevated fashion presentation at Manhattan’s Refectory on 5 November, BoF reported.

The plan

• Ross already sells labels such as French Connection, Rachel Zoe and Rebecca Minkoff and plans to add more brands, plus a new private label, Broadway 38.
• Stores will get “high-end visuals”, including displays of complete outfits, and marketing will include a Gen Z collection and lookbook, said Isha Nicole, Ross’s new creative director and SVP of brand strategy.
• Prices are meant to stay low: analysts say much of its apparel sells for about $10–12.

“My goal is that people would leave with the impression of ‘holy smokes, I can get that from Ross?’” Nicole told BoF.

Context

Ross ranks second in off-price with $22.8 billion in annual sales, behind TJX ($60.4 billion) and ahead of Burlington ($11.55 billion), per company filings cited by BoF. It runs 2,377 stores and entered New York in 2023.

Analysts see an opening among shoppers questioning premium prices, but warn of risks. Guggenheim’s Simeon Siegel said the challenge is adding pricier items that are still a deal without scaring off customers attached to a $10–12 purchase, and advised following TJX’s lead by moving slowly.