Duluth Trading Co. eyes Rogers for first Arkansas store

A retail company known for clever commercials touting, among other products, “Buck Naked” underwear has set its sights on Northwest Arkansas.

A development plan is in the works to build a Duluth Trading Co. retail store in Rogers, the company’s first store in Arkansas.

The Wisconsin-based men’s and women’s clothing and workwear retailer is planning to build on a 2-acre lot near home furnishings retailer At Home, between Interstate 49 and South 27th Street. A request to rezone the lot from A-1 (Agriculture) to C-2 (Highway Commercial) was approved May 1 by the Rogers Planning Commission.

AGG Investments LLC, led by Goldie Russell, owns the land. Russell is president and CEO of A.G. Russell Knives Inc., which has a retail store just a few hundred yards to the north.

A spokeswoman for Duluth Holdings Co. (NASDAQ: DLTH), the retailer’s publicly held parent company, did not comment on a potential store, but did provide the following statement:

“Our policy is not to disclose the timing of new store openings until the leasing, permitting and development process has been thoroughly vetted. Our site selection for new stores is largely driven by data that demonstrates Duluth customer demand, and a site that will reflect the Duluth brand promise to our retail customers including a unique shopping experience, ease of access and ample parking.”

Duluth Trading Co. started as a mail-order business in 1989 by two brothers in the home construction industry. The company has since become a widely recognized brand, opened its first retail store in 2010 and went public in 2015.

The business opened its 34th store on May 3 in Colorado Springs, Colo., and by May 24 will have 37 stores open, 28 of which have opened since the beginning of 2016.

The closest stores to Arkansas are in Kansas City, Mo., Dallas and St. Louis.