Cost Plus World Market features home decor, tabletop accessories, decorative gifts, gourmet foods and beverages. The chain touts its imports, such as handcrafted iron candlesticks from India, 18 varieties of olive oil, hand-carved masks from Ghana, recycled wood furniture from Indonesia, handmade birdhouses, unique kitchen utensils, and hand-painted ceramics from Italy.
The chain recently opened a 500,000-sf distribution center in Norfolk, VA, that will supply all Cost Plus stores east of the Mississippi River by February 2003.
The retailer accelerated the opening and filled it up with inventory in anticipation of a longshoreman's strike, says Alan Rifkin, a securities analyst with Lehman Brothers.
Oakland, CA-based Cost Plus has more than 150 stores in 19 states.
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