Burlington Opens 56th New Jersey Location at Watchung Shopping Center

Burlington Stores, Inc. will open at Blue Star Shopping Center in Watchung next month. The off-price chain will occupy 26,495 square feet at 1701 Route 22. This marks its 56th store in New Jersey.

According to Patch, the Watchung site showcases the company's redesigned concept. Think wider aisles and clearer organization. Bold signs guide shoppers through departments. Burlington has converted half of its existing stores to this new setup, with plans to update most remaining sites by late 2026.

The South Jersey-based chain operates 1,212 stores across the U.S. and Puerto Rico, selling branded clothes, shoes, accessories, and housewares at prices up to 60% below competitors.

Shoppers at the Watchung store will find women's clothes and accessories, menswear, junior apparel, kids' items, shoes, beauty products, fragrances, baby gear, décor, pet supplies, and toys. Burlington expects to open about 110 stores in 2026, plus a new distribution center in Georgia.

The chain is taking part of the shopping center that once held a ShopRite supermarket, according to Levin Management Corp. ShopRite moved to a newly built 72,000-square-foot building next to its old spot last spring.

Burlington will share the former ShopRite space with Marshalls, which is relocating to an updated 27,000-square-foot area within that same building.

The company is pursuing an expansion strategy to add roughly 500 stores by 2028. After opening more than 100 outposts last year, it also expects to welcome shoppers to Hudson Mall in Jersey City soon.

Hiring has started for both full-time and part-time positions at the Jersey City and Watchung stores. Job seekers can apply online at BurlingtonStores.jobs.

The 420,000-square-foot retail hub also houses Kohl's + Sephora, Dollar Tree, honeygrow, Five Guys, Five Below, Planet Fitness, The Children's Place, Taco Bell, and KidStrong. Raising Cane's is coming to the center soon.