Item 2. PROPERTIES

At February 1, 2020, we operated a total of 1,805 stores, of which 1,546 were Ross stores in 39 states, the District of Columbia, and Guam, and 259 were dd’s DISCOUNTS stores in 19 states. All stores are leased, with the exception of two locations which we own.

During fiscal 2019, we opened 74 new Ross stores and closed eight existing stores. The average approximate Ross store size is 28,000 square feet.

During fiscal 2019, we opened 24 new dd’s DISCOUNTS stores, closed one existing store, and temporarily closed one store impacted by a weather event. The average approximate dd’s DISCOUNTS store size is 23,000 square feet.

During fiscal 2019, no one store accounted for more than 1% of our sales.

We carry fire, flood, wind, and earthquake insurance to help mitigate the risk of financial loss that may result from such events.

Our real estate strategy in 2020 is to primarily open stores in states where we currently operate, to increase our market penetration and leverage overhead and advertising expenses as a percentage of sales in each market. We also expect to continue our store expansion in newer markets in 2020. Important considerations in evaluating a new store location in both newer and more established markets are the availability and quality of potential sites, demographic characteristics, competition, and population density of the local trade area. In addition, we continue to consider opportunistic real estate acquisitions.

The following table summarizes the locations of our stores by state/territory as of February 1, 2020 and February 2, 2019.

Where possible, we obtain sites in buildings requiring minimal alterations, allowing us to establish stores in new locations in a relatively short period of time at reasonable costs in a given market. At February 1, 2020, the majority of our stores had unexpired original lease terms ranging from three to ten years, with three to four renewal options of five years each. The average unexpired original lease term of our leased stores is approximately six years, or approximately 20 years if renewal options are included. See Note E of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

See additional discussion under “Stores” in Item 1.

The following table summarizes the location and approximate sizes of our distribution centers, warehouses, and office locations as of February 1, 2020. Square footage information for the distribution centers and warehouses represents total ground floor area of the facility. Square footage information for office space represents total space owned and leased. See additional discussion in Management’s Discussion and Analysis.

See additional discussion under “Distribution” in Item 1.