April 11--Duluth Trading, a workwear brand whose snarkily marketed products include a longer-than-average T-shirt to prevent the infamous "plumber's butt," plans to open stores later this year in Hoffman Estates and Downers Grove, the company said last week.
They would be the Belleville, Wis.-based company's first Illinois stores, according to its website, which currently lists 11 stores -- none of which are in Illinois.
Company representatives couldn't be reached for immediate comment Monday.
"For 2016, we're on target to meet our plan to open four to five stores, and we have four leases signed: two in the Chicago suburbs -- one in Hoffman Estates, which will be our first built-to-suit project -- and the other is in Downers Grove," Stephanie Pugliese, chief executive of owner Duluth Holdings, said last Thursday in a call with analysts to discuss fourth-quarter financial results.
The annual shareholder report, filed Friday with the Securities and Exchange Commission, says the Downers Grove and Hoffman Estates stores will each be about 14,000 square feet.
Duluth Trading also signed leases in Omaha, Neb., and La Crosse, Wis., Pugliese said.
"Looking forward to 2017, we still expect to add seven to eight more stores, moving closer to the East Coast to serve our largest customer concentration," she said.
byerak@tribpub.com
