Cost Plus World Market Premieres Second Dallas/Fort Worth Store in Grapevine, Texas; Grapevine Residents to Discover the World at Opening of New Cost Plus World Market

Business Wire, August 18, 1997

GRAPEVINE, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 18, 1997--Cost Plus Inc. will premiere its winning combination of home decor and entertaining "World Market" stores on Thursday, Aug. 28 at 9 a.m.

The Grapevine grand opening marks the retailer's second expansion into the Dallas/Ft. Worth area and the 64th Cost Plus World Market nationwide.

Cost Plus World Market, opening at 1317 Highway State 114 West in the Grapevine Towne Center, offers over 10,000 unique and affordable home furnishings and entertainment items including gourmet foods and beverages, furniture, glassware and ceramics, exotic collectibles, baskets, rugs and pillows, imported from 50 countries around the world.

Featuring an ever-changing selection of home decor, table top, gifts and decorative accessories along with gourmet food and beverage, Cost Plus World Market targets its merchandise assortment to enhance the casual living and home entertaining experience. The company believes that the breadth and depth of its assortment in current casual living categories position Cost Plus as a destination store.

"We believe a spicy combination of competitively priced international home furnishings with gourmet food and wine is the recipe for success," said Ralph Dillon, Cost Plus Inc.'s chairman and CEO. Nowhere is this more true than in Grapevine where, "the demographics of the greater Ft. Worth area are the perfect match for Cost Plus World Market."

The Grapevine store is a 19,000 square foot showcase of world cultures that customers may navigate from a single starting point: the compass rose etched into the floor. Stocked with international treasures, customers will discover an eclectic collection of merchandise including hand-crafted iron candlesticks from India, 18 varieties of olive oil, 250 labels of wine, hand-carved masks from Ghana, recycled wood furniture made in Indonesia, handmade birdhouses, unique kitchen utensils, hand-painted ceramics from Italy and much more.

"Cost Plus World Market buyers have a heightened sense of adventure and curiosity. They travel they world visiting remote villages, centuries old factories and covered bazaars searching for unusual and unique products to bring home to our customers," said Kathi Lentzsch, Cost Plus World Market's Executive Vice President of Merchandising and Marketing. "Exclusive Italian pottery, hand carved African tribal masks, or Balinese bamboo wind chimes are just a few of the items that take our customers on an adventure through the store where they will find special treasures to fit their homes and personalities."

Hundreds of customers, civic leaders and Cost Plus employees will celebrate the Grapevine Grand Opening at 9 a.m. on Thursday, August 28. Activities planned for opening day include a treasure hunt with customers and a personal appearance by Chef Rick Robbins of the Stoneleigh Hotel from noon-2 p.m. In addition, the Grapevine High School and RazzMaJazz Dixieland Band will provide musical entertainment throughout the day. Plus, customers will meet master Chef Martin Yan of the PBS show "Yan Can Cook" on Saturday, August 30 from noon-2 p.m. as he prepares his Asian specialities. Numerous gourmet food tastings will be available from Tobler Orange Ghirardelli Chocolate, Cost Plus World Market Coffee, Mezzetta, Thai Kitchen and much more.

Cost Plus was founded in 1958 when a San Francisco businessman blended his passion for travel and retail by selling shiploads of hand-woven wicker he discovered during his travels through Asia. In addition to Grapevine, Cost Plus, Inc. plans to open six more stores for a total of twelve new stores throughout the United States in 1997.

CONTACT: Cost Plus World Market

Melissa Oldenbourg, 510/893-7300 ext. 3504