September 03, 2026
Michael Cuviello/USA Today Network via Reuters Connect
Burlington Stores, which has been headquartered in Burlington Township, New Jersey, for more than 50 years, will move its corporate offices to University City. Above, a Burlington Stores shop in Texas.
Discount retail chain Burlington Stores plans to relocate its corporate headquarters from South Jersey to Philadelphia, bringing about 2,000 jobs to the city over the next five years, officials said Thursday.
The Fortune 500 company, established in 1972 as Burlington Coat Factory, will invest $370 million in its new offices at 3151 Market St. in University City. The office and lab building is part of Brandywine Realty Trust's Schuylkill Yards development.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said the addition of Burlington Stores is part of the state's "targeted" economic development strategy to attract employers to growing job centers.
"We’re going to keep showing the world that Pennsylvania is open for business," Shapiro said in a statement.
Burlington Stores received a $20 million grant from the state's Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program and another $10 million Pennsylvania First grant to support the move. The city also is providing a $7 million forgivable loan and a Job Creation Tax Credit award.
"As we evaluated different options for our new corporate home, we were strongly attracted to the energy, talent, and infrastructure that Philadelphia has to offer," Burlington CEO Michael O'Sullivan said in a statement.
A company spokesperson said the transition from its Burlington Township headquarters will take place in phases and won't begin before 2028. The company is expected to occupy all of the office space in the 14-story property, whose ground floor has Starbucks and Fine Wine & Good Spirits stores.
Burlington Stores' new corporate office will bring 2,000 employees of the discount retailer to 3151 Market St. in University City. The building is part of the West Philly neighborhood's Schuylkill Yards development.
As part of the deal, SEPTA and the Philadelphia Parking Authority will offer commuter discounts for Burlington Stores employees in Philadelphia.
Burlington Stores has about 1,300 locations — including 43 stores in the region — and is in the midst of an expansion that will create a net of 150 new stores across the country this fiscal year. The company has additional office space in New York City that it uses for buying merchandise and retail operations. In its most recent earnings report, Burlington Stores reported 11% year-over-year growth and $11.5 billion in net sales revenue.
The planned move to Philadelphia puts Burlington Stores among a growing list of companies that are investing in Philadelphia and the surrounding region. Urban Outfitters will add 450 jobs to its Navy Yard headquarters and open another facility for its Nuuly brand in Bucks County. Beverage canner DrinkPAK plans to occupy a warehouse at the emerging Bellwether District in Southwest Philly, joined at the campus by cancer research company TerraPower Isotopes.
Brandywine Realty Trust CEO Jerry Sweeney said Burlington Store's entry in University City is a vote of confidence in the office and lab space that has been developed in the neighborhood over the last decade.
"Their investment validates our vision for Schuylkill Yards as a place where companies can access world-class talent, foster collaboration, and accelerate growth," Sweeney said.
