, ▁Pacific a , ▁Nov ato , ▁V ac av ille , ▁Red wood ▁City , ▁and ▁Castro ▁Valley . ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 2 ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁invest ors , ▁including ▁Mer vin ▁Morris , ▁founder ▁of ▁the ▁Mer v yn s ▁chain ▁of ▁department ▁stores , ▁purchased ▁the ▁six ▁Ross ▁Department ▁St ores ▁in ▁San ▁Francisco , ▁changed ▁the ▁format ▁to ▁off - price ▁ret ail ▁units , ▁and ▁within ▁three ▁years ▁rapidly ▁expanded ▁the ▁chain ▁to ▁ 1 0 7 ▁stores ▁under ▁Stuart ▁Mold aw ▁and ▁Don ▁Row lett . ▁By ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁ 1 9 9 5 ▁the ▁chain ▁reached ▁an ▁annual ▁sales ▁of ▁$ 1 . 4 ▁billion ▁with ▁ 2 9 2 ▁stores ▁in ▁ 1 8 ▁states . ▁By ▁ 2 0 1 2 ▁Ross ▁reached ▁$ 9 . 7 ▁billion ▁for ▁the ▁fis cal ▁year ▁with ▁ 1 , 0 9 1 ▁stores ▁in ▁ 3 3 ▁states ▁with ▁an ▁additional ▁ 1 0 8 ▁for ▁D d ' s ▁Dis count s ▁in ▁ 8 ▁states . ▁Ross ▁moved ▁its ▁headquarters ▁from ▁New ark ▁to ▁Ple as anton , ▁California , ▁in ▁the ▁Tri - Val ley ▁area , ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 3 . ▁ ▁Barbara ▁R ent ler ▁took ▁the ▁place ▁of ▁CE O ▁Michael ▁Bal m uth ▁on ▁June ▁ 1 , ▁ 2 0 1 4 ; ▁she ▁was ▁the ▁ 2 5 th ▁female ▁CE O ▁of ▁a ▁Fort une ▁ 5 0 0 ▁company .