[EXCLUSIVE] Burlington to Open New Store in Brookhaven

A new Burlington store is coming to metro Atlanta.  Planning materials indicate that Burlington is coming to Northeast Plaza (3307 Buford Highway) in Brookhaven where it will replace a pair of existing tenants.  The new store will be about 25,000 square feet and open beside existing junior anchor and fellow off-price retailer, DD's Discounts.  

Burlington, formerly Burlington Coat Factory, has been on a significant growth spurt in recent years and has added several new stores to metro Atlanta.  The struggles of other retailers including Office Depot and Bed Bath & Beyond have played a significant role in providing appealing spaces for Burlington to backfill.  

ToNeTo Atlanta reported in 2023 that New Jersey-based Burlington bid a total of $12 million to acquire 44 leases Bed Bath & Beyond leases.  The Georgia stores won by Burlington and that have since been converted include those at Akers Mill Square near Cumberland Mall in Atlanta, Edgewood Retail District near Little Five Points in Atlanta, and Crossroads Marketplace on Watson Boulevard in Warner Robins.  

The company has also in recent years relocated select stores to more desirable locations including a move from North DeKalb Mall to Briarcliff Village in 2021 and a move from Roswell Road near the Big Chicken to a space along Cobb Parkway south of Dobbins before that.  

The new Burlington in Northeast Plaza will open in place of P.C.X. Clothing Co. and Happy Land Dresses, both locally owned retailers.  The Northeast Plaza stores represent the entire retail presence for both stores, and it's unclear if one or both have plans to relocate, either within the center or elsewhere.  

Burlington previously operated a store at Plaza Fiesta (4166 Buford Highway), about two miles north on Buford Highway but relocated the store to Doraville Plaza shopping center (5766 Buford Highway) in late 2011. (The former Plaza Fiesta store, originally a Woolco, is today occupied by Ollie's Bargain Outlet).   The Doraville store, a former Value City, is a whopping 85,000 square feet and is reportedly one of the biggest and most productive stores for the company chainwide.  

The new Burlington is likely meant to ease the pressure on the Doraville store which opens at 8 am seven days a week and remains open until midnight each night except Sunday, when it closes at 11 pm.  

Renderings suggest that the new store will sport the retailer's latest branding package including their new-ish positioning: "DEALS. BRANDS. WOW!" 

Northeast Plaza, first opened in 1957, has been home to a wide variety of anchors in its more than 60 year history.  Early anchors in the center included J.C. Penney, S.S. Kresge, W.T. Grant, Walgreens, Kroger, Winn-Dixie.  The 90s and early 2000s included anchors such as Mars Music, JCPenney Outlet, Drug Emporium, Publix, and Big Lots. 

Today the center is anchored by NCG Cinemas, Goodwill, City Farmers Market, Furniture City Outlet, and DD's Discounts.  

Sources close to the center suggest current owner Brixmor is still mulling redevelopment options at the center, which was part of the reason that a Wendy's at the property closed this past May.  

What is your oldest memory of Northeast Plaza?  Are you excited about the addition of Burlington to Northeast Plaza?  What would you like to see done or added to Northeast Plaza?

Please share your thoughts below.