Careers at Burlington Stores
MISSION
Burlington Stores Inc (“Burlington”) aims to offer a wide range of apparel, accessories, and footwear products to consumers at prices that are considerably lower than those of its mainstream retail competitors.
FOUNDING STORY
Burlington traces its roots back to 1924, when it began as operating as a wholesaler of ladies coats and junior suits.
The Company was formally incorporated as a retailer in 1972, when Henrietta Milstein and her husband acquired a former factory outlet in Burlington, New Jersey, which they developed into the first Burlington outlet store.
The Company opened a second location in Copiague, Long Island in 1975. In 1983, by which time the Company operated a network of 31 locations across the US, Burlington went public.
In 2006, Burlington was acquired by private equity group Bain Capital Partners for USD 2.06 billion.
Bain Capital returned the Company to the stock market in 2013, listing the Company on the New York Stock Exchange.
The Company raised a reported USD 226.6 million in its initial public offering, its shares opening at USD 23.50 each, which valued the Company at around USD 1.8 billion. Burlington Stores has a current market capitalisation of approximately USD 10.26 billion.
Burlington is one of the largest operators of outlet stores in the US.
It currently operates a network of more than 670 stores across 45 US states and Puerto Rico, and has expanded its product catalogue from just coats and outerwear offerings to include apparel, footwear, accessories, and toys.
Business model of Burlington Stores
Customer Segments
Burlington operates as a brick and mortar and online retailer of clothes, accessories, and footwear.
Its customers comprise members of the general consumer population.
The Company principally targets customers in the following groups:
- Middle Class Consumers, comprising consumers from middle income families with a reasonable amount of disposable income to spend on fashion items;
- Value-Conscious Consumers, comprising customers who are eager to find the best value for their money and who appreciate deals and discounts on quality items; and
- Younger Consumers, comprising consumers under the age of 50, with customers aged between 18 and 30 notably a growing demographic for the Company’s stores.
Burlington is headquartered in the US, which is the Company’s sole market. The Company serves US customers across 45 states, as well as in Puerto Rico. The Company does not appear to have any international operations.
Value Propositions
Burlington provides value to its customers in the following ways:
- Reputation and Standing – Burlington is a well-known brand name in the US outlet retail market, with an established reputation as a reliable and provider of branded apparel and related items at reasonable prices;
- Value and Affordability – Burlington has built its reputation and successful business model on being able to provide items to customers at discounted prices, offering better value for money that competing retail chains;
- Accessibility and Reach – Burlington operates a broad network of outlet stores numbering more than 670 across 45 US states and Puerto Rico, as well as an online store;
- Product Range – Burlington offers its customers a wide range of apparel for men, women, and children, as well as a selection of accessories, footwear products, and toys, ensuring that it is able to serve. Broad customer base; and
- Customer Service – Burlington offers customers high quality customer service both before and after sale, with the Company operating a dedicated customer care organisation that handles complaints and queries.
Channels
Burlington serves its customers primarily via its network of physical retail outlets. The Company operates a network of more than 670 stores across the US and Puerto Rico, each of which is staffed by dedicated sales personnel who deal directly with customers.
The Company also operates an online sales channel, through which customers are able to browse products, make purchases, and schedule deliveries on a self-service basis.
Burlington’s sales operations are supported by its distribution and logistics infrastructure. The Company operates four distribution centres across the US that ship around 98% of the Company’s merchandise.
The remaining 2% of merchandise units are drop shipped by its vendors directly to stores.
In addition to the distribution centres the Company operates, Burlington has arrangements with third parties for the use of pool point facilities.
Customer Relationships
Burlington primarily serves its customers directly.
The Company’s in-store sales personnel interact personally with customers to assist in their shopping experience, responding to queries, handling complaints, and providing guidance.
Burlington operates an online store at www.burlington.com, through which customers can browse products, make purchases, and arrange deliveries on a self-service basis.
The Company also offers a membership service which can be accessed online and enables customers to access members-only benefits and deals.
Burlington operates a dedicated customer support team, which operates out of the Company’s offices and provides personalised support to customers over the phone and online.
The Company is also able to communicate directly with customers through its various social media accounts, including with Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube.
Key Activities
Burlington operates as a retailer of branded apparel. The Company operates a network of more than 670 outlet stores across 45 US states and Puerto Rico.
Burlington organises its product portfolio into a number of categories, including coats, women, men, juniors, girls, boys, shoes, handbags and accessories, beauty and fragrance, home and toys.
The Company arranges its sales across the following segments: Women’s ready-to-wear apparel, Accessories and footwear, Menswear, Youth apparel and baby, Home, and Coats.
In addition to its brick and mortar outlets, Burlington operates an online sales channel through which customers can browse products and make purchases on a self-service basis.
Key Partners
Burlington works closely with a network of partner companies and organisations across the US.
These partners can be organised broadly into the following categories:
- Supplier and Vendor Partners, including brands and manufacturers that provide products for sale across the Company’s network of outlets, as well as providers of third party services that support the Company’s operations across the enterprise;
- Distribution and Delivery Partners, including specialist logistics, distribution, and courier companies that support the Company’s distribution and storage activities, as well as its delivery operations for online orders;
- Social and Community Partners, including a range of non-profits and charitable organisations with which the Company collaborates on social and community projects across the US;
- Marketing Partners, including a range of brands and organisations with which the Company embarks on marketing, branding, and advertising partnerships in order to further the reach of its brand; and
- Strategic Partners, including various other companies and organisations with which the Company collaborates on business development projects.
Burlington has a number of key partnerships in place. This includes charitable partnerships with The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Good Morning America, and Delivering Good Inc, as well as a retail partnership with OwnerIQ.
Key Resources
Burlington’s business model depends on its ability to offer a wide range of high quality products to customers at affordable prices.
As such, the Company’s key resources are its intellectual properties, its product catalogues, its suppliers and supply chain, its network of outlet stores, its distribution and storage network, its network of partners, its online store and IT infrastructure, and its personnel.
Burlington notably owns and or leases more than 670 outlet stores across the US, which are key to its activities. It also operates several distribution and warehousing facilities that support its core retail operations.
Cost Structure
Burlington incurs costs in relation to the acquisition of products and merchandise, the procurement of third party services, the operation of its network of outlets – including utility and occupancy costs, the management of its distribution and logistics infrastructure, the development and maintenance of its online store and IT infrastructure, the implementation of marketing and advertising campaigns, the payment of salaries and benefits to its personnel, and the management of its partnerships.
For 2018, Burlington recorded total annual cost of sales in the amount of USD 3.87 billion, as well as selling, general, and administrative costs in the amount of USD 2.02 billion, comprising USD 1.34 billion in store related costs, USD 313.3 million in product sourcing costs, USD 200.9 million in corporate costs, and USD 89.5 million in marketing and strategy costs.
Revenue Streams
Burlington generates revenue through the operation of a network of outlet stores across the US.
The Company derives its revenue in the form of sales fees collected from customers at point of sale, including across its brick and mortar stores and its online sales portal.
In 2018, Burlington generated annual revenue totaling USD 6.67 billion, up on the USD 6.11 billion recorded by the Company in 2017.
Our team
info: Thomas A. Kingsbury (“Kingsbury”) has served as Chief Executive Officer, and a as a member of the Board of Directors, at Burlington, since December 2008. He was appointed Chairman of the Company in May 2014. In this dual capacity Kingsbury heads the Company’s Board of Directors and is responsible for leading the Company’s overall strategic direction. Kingsbury began his career in 1976, when he joined The May Department Stores Company. He held a series of roles of increasing responsibility at the company before serving as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Filene’s division from February 2000. Prior to joining Burlington, Kingsbury served as Senior Executive Vice President for Information Services, E-Commerce, Marketing and Business Development at Kohl’s Corporation from August 2006 to December 2008.
info: Jennifer Vecchio (“Vecchio”) has served as President and Chief Merchandising Officer at Burlington since April 2019. She first joined the Company in 2015 as Executive Vice President and Chief Merchandising Officer, following which she was the Company’s Chief Merchandising Officer and Principal. As Chief Merchandising Officer, Vecchio is responsible for overseeing all of the Company’s buying and selling activities. Vecchio began her career in 1988 at Macy’s, where she served in a variety of merchandising roles over the course of nine years. In in 1997, she joined Ross Stores, where she held roles of increasing responsibility, including spells as Executive Vice President of Merchandising for Mens and Kids from December 2009 and as Senior Vice President and GMM from February 2005. Prior to joining Burlington, Vecchio provided consulting services to the Company’s merchandising organisation.
info: Marc Katz (“Katz”) has served as Chief Financial Officer and Principal at Burlington since January 2017. In this role, he is responsible for overseeing the Company’s financial management operations, including the activities of its investor relations unit. Katz first joined Burlington in 2008 and has held a number of senior leadership roles at the Company, including spells as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Executive Vice President of Merchandising Support and Information Technology, Executive Vice President of Merchandise Planning and Allocation, and Executive Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer. Katz began his career in 1997, when he joined Foot Locker Inc. He held a number of positions at the company, including a spells as Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer from mid-2002 to September 2006. Prior to joining Burlington, Katz served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of A.C. Moore Arts & Crafts Inc, a specialty retailer of arts, crafts and floral merchandise, from September 2006 to June 2008.