[EXCLUSIVE] World Market Opening New Metro Atlanta Store

For the first time in many years, a new location of World Market is opening in metro Atlanta.  Currently with four locations locally, a new store is coming soon to Cumming Town Center in Forsyth County.  

The Alameda, California-based retailer, previously known as Cost Plus World Market, currently operates Atlanta area locations in Buckhead, Buford, Dunwoody, and Kennesaw.  The company closed its Smyrna location at the end of 2020, after which Sprouts Farmers Market opened in its place.  

The new Cumming location is opening at 2475 Marketplace Boulevard, suite 114, a roughly 18,000 square foot space previously home to High Point Furniture and before that, Off Broadway Shoes.  

In case you are unfamiliar, World Market stocks a wide assortment of merchandise ranging from coffee, tea, beer, and wine to specialty foods, furniture, lighting, gifts, kitchen gadgets, and more.  

In preparing this post, we learned that World Market started in San Francisco in 1958, and that in 1962, with the help of the Tandy Corporation (the owner of Radio Shack), Cost Plus Imports incorporated and opened its first franchised location in San Mateo, California. From 1962 to 1965, Cost Plus opened 15 franchised locations in California and Texas. In 1965, Tandy gave notice that they intended to launch their own brand, and in 1966 rebranded their Cost Plus stores to their new banner: Pier 1 Imports!  

From 2012 until 2021, World Market was a division of Bed Bath & Beyond.  The 246 unit chain is today owned by Kingswood Capital Management, a Los Angeles-based private equity firm. California and Florida are the brand's largest markets by store count with 52 and 28 stores, respectively.  

In Cumming Town Center, World Market joins a compelling roster of existing tenants including a TJ Maxx HomeGoods combo store, Burlington, Dick's Sporting Goods, Five Below, Ulta, and Best Buy, among others.  

Are you a fan of World Market?  Did you know the shared history of World Market and Pier 1 Imports?  Where else would you like to see World Market open?

Please share your thoughts below.