Why Are There Two Burlington Stores One Mile Apart in South Portland, Maine?

In larger cities, it's not uncommon to find multiple locations of a business within the city limits. Even midsized cities might find the same grocery store, pharmacy, coffee purveyor, or fast food chain available in multiple spots to satisfy demand. What is uncommon is for a big box store to have multiple locations barely over a mile from one another. But that's what has been going on in South Portland with Burlington.

It's been nearly two years since Burlington opened their new location in the Maine Crossing Plaza alongside other heavy hitters like Target, Bed Bath & Beyond, and Nordstrom Rack. That store has continuously been busy since it opened, with great visibility and foot traffic in a centralized mall location. One would assume Burlington would only need that location.

But 1.3 miles away in the Jetport Plaza still stands another Burlington. That store sells much of the same product as the new location, and savvy shoppers have been spending the last couple years going to the less crowded Burlington to snag their deals. So what is going on exactly? Are both stores going to remain operational?

The short answer is no. Burlington seized on an opportunity to join other retailers in a thriving location at the Maine Crossing Plaza. But real estate leases can be difficult to get out of, and Burlington has been in a long term lease at the Jetport Plaza. Rather than pay for a space they wouldn't use, they've kept that store open and operational. It appears that time is ending soon, with a new medical facility believed to be moving in to the Jetport Plaza.