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Burlington Coat Factory Warehouse Corporation

Type	Private
Founded	1924 (with retail outlets opening in 1972)
Headquarters	Burlington, New Jersey, U.S.
Key people	Monroe Milstein: Founder
Industry	Retail
Products	Coats, outerwear, apparel, shoes, accessories, baby clothes, furniture, home decor items, and gifts
Revenue	US $2.8 billion (2004)
Owner(s)	Bain Capital LLC
Employees	28,000
Website	www.coat.com

Burlington Coat Factory Warehouse Corporation is a national department store retailer focusing on clothing and shoes, with over 360 stores in 42 states (as of 2006). In 2006, it was acquired by Bain Capital, LLC in a take-private transaction. ^[1]

[edit] History

The original Burlington Coat Factory store in Burlington, New Jersey.

The company was founded in 1924 as "Burlington Coat Factory Warehouse Corporation", a wholesaler of ladies coats and outerwear. The modern company was formed in 1972 when Monroe Milstein purchased a warehouse in Burlington, New Jersey, and started selling coats and outerwear. The company started gradually adding apparel, including suits, shoes, and accessories, and presently has even branched out to include baby items and linens, all clothing at considerable discount to some of its competition. MJM Designer Shoes and Cohoes Fashions are separate stores in the Burlington Coat Factory family. In 2007, the company announced that three of the seven Cohoes stores will close, and two of the remaining Cohoes stores will be converted to Burlington Coat Factory. The fate of the other two Cohoes stores is unknown.^[2]

Burlington Coat Factory store in Hoboken, New Jersey.

[edit] Business issues

Under investigation from animal welfare organization Humane Society of the United States, Burlington Coat Factory has been accused of labeling real fur products as "faux fur". The company agreed to pull the false advertisements after an undercover investigation revealed "faux fur" as actually made from the pelts of animals killed in China.[2] Burlington Coat Factory's coats have also been found to contain dog pelts. ^[3][4][5]

Burlington Coat Factory's logo is often supplemented with the tag "Not Affiliated with Burlington Industries." When Burlington Coat Factory settled a trademark dispute with fabric maker Burlington Industries in 1981, Burlington Coat Factory agreed to say in advertising -- as it does to this day -- that the two companies are not affiliated, even though Burlington Industries ceased operations in 2004.

[edit] Market

Competitors to Burlington Coat Factory include T.J. Maxx, Ross Stores, and Filene's Basement. A key difference between Burlington Coat Factory and other off price stores is that Burlington Coat Factory features more of a traditional department store layout than its competitors.

In 2006, after changing ownership, the company for the first time began offering cash and credit card refunds. Prior to this policy change, the only refunds were in the form of store credit, regardless of whether the customer had a receipt.

[edit] Departments and services

A typical Burlington Coat Factory store includes menswear, sportswear, accessory, youth, and shoe departments. Most stores have two specialty departments. "Luxury Linens" sells linen and furniture items, as well as housewares and home decor items. The "Baby Depot" sells a variety of baby furniture and equipment and offers a baby registry service. Many stores also provide tailoring services.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Official Company Web Page
• Baby Depot Web Page