The Thrill of the Hunt: Burlington opens in Kokomo

By ERIN LARISON

The Kokomo Post Staff

Jake Bandelier, store manager at Kokomo’s newest retailer — Burlington — summed up the appeal of the off-price retailing giant in five little words.

“It’s the thrill of the hunt,” he said with a smile, looking over the massive remodeled store in the Markland Plaza late Thursday afternoon. The former home to Bed Bath & Beyond has been gutted and opened up with rows and rows of clothing, home goods, shoes and more. There are coats — and then a lot more, Bandelier joked, a nod to the retailer’s former name, Burlington Coat Factory.

With new, lower-price, brand-name inventory every day, Bandelier said, it makes the shopping experience at Burlington an entirely different one every time someone visits.

“It’s another place to get a good value for your buck,” he siad. “With prices increasing every day, it’s nice to have someplace you can go to afford something.”

And the deal hunters were out early, with people browsing and shopping late Thursday afternoon, during the store’s soft opening.

Peggy Fortune came up from Tipton to check out the inventory in the former Bed Bath & Beyond location.

“I wanted to come and see what they got here,” she said, while shuffling through a rack of clothes. “… The prices are looking good.”

The store’s grand opening is all day Friday, and the retailer will be celebrating with coupons and deals throughout the weekend — but one of the highlights of the kickoff, Bandelier said, doesn’t have anything to do with shopping.

The store will be giving a $5,000 check to Boulevard Elementary to help with its STEM programming.

Attendants who come on Saturday will receive a free umbrella as well.

For more information on Burlington, visit www.burlington.com.       

If you go:

Address: 1411 South Reed Road, Kokomo, IN 46902

Store hours:

Sunday-Thursday: 9:30 a.m. – 10 p.m.

Friday-Saturday: 9:30 a.m. – 11 p.m.