Villa Fleur, a perfume outlet at 2300 Dixwell Avenue, closed on Sunday, May 10, after more than 30 years in the Hamden Mart. Owner Zafar Farooqui told Patch the store was being forced to close because of the Walmart expansion.
That one closing explains most of what has happened along Dixwell Avenue over the past year. New businesses keep arriving, and almost every one has opened, or is about to open, in a space a previous tenant left. Walmart grows into the old Bob's Stores. Ross takes the old Jo-Ann. Five Below took over the old Party City. The storefronts stay the same and the signs change.
A year of moves, address by address
Here is the corridor's past year in order. Each entry shows who left a space and who took it.
- September 2025, 2335 Dixwell. Ugly Dumpling opened in the former TGI Fridays space, Connecticut's first location of the restaurant. TGI Fridays had closed abruptly in early January.
- November 21, 2025, Hamden Plaza, 2100 Dixwell. Five Below set its opening date in the former Party City site.
- January 12, 2026, Hamden Plaza. Robeks Fresh Juices & Smoothies opened, serving juices, smoothies and açai bowls.
- February 2026, 2335 Dixwell. Party City came back to Hamden as a pop-up inside Staples.
- April 16, 2026, Stop & Shop, 2331 Dixwell. M&T Bank's in-store branch was scheduled to close and be replaced by a standalone ATM.
- May 10, 2026, Hamden Mart, 2300 Dixwell. Villa Fleur closed to make room for Walmart.
- August 13, 2026, Hamden Plaza. Wonder held its grand opening in the former Pretty Women store, next door to Robeks.
- Mid-August 2026, Hamden Mart. Walmart's 63,000-square-foot expansion into the former Bob's Stores space was scheduled to begin.
- Saturday, October 10, 2026, Hamden Mart. Ross Dress for Less plans to open in the former Jo-Ann space.
That's nine entries along one stretch of Dixwell Avenue, and none of them involved a new building. Four of the six arrivals have opened so far. Walmart's expansion is under construction, and Ross plans to open on October 10. All six are in space that already existed. Five took over from a known earlier tenant, and Robeks opened in an existing storefront in Hamden Plaza. The other three entries are departures. Two of those departures, Villa Fleur and the M&T branch, freed up or shrank space inside centers that were already full.
Why the empty boxes fill back up
Stores that big don't refill on their own. They refill because the businesses around them keep drawing shoppers. Steve Fontana, Hamden's economic development director, explained Ross's choice of Hamden Mart to the Hartford Courant in August:
"Ross Dress for Less saw their competitors here like TJ Maxx, Marshalls and Burlington and saw that this is the place they wanted to be. There are people here shopping, spending money and doing well."
That logic shows up across the timeline. Ross is moving in near three off-price competitors. Hamden Mart also already had Walmart and Aldi as anchors. At Hamden Plaza, Robeks opened in January, and seven months later Wonder moved in right next door.
Party City shows the pattern most clearly. Patch reported that Party City closed most of its corporate-owned stores by early 2025 after its bankruptcy, and dozens shut down across Connecticut. Its Hamden Plaza space didn't stay empty long enough to become a local landmark, because Five Below had an opening date there by that fall. Then, in February 2026, the Party City name came back to Dixwell Avenue in a smaller form, inside the Staples at 2335 Dixwell. Patch noted the selection isn't as extensive as the old stores. It focuses on essential party and event supplies. So within about a year, the brand that left a big box returned as a section inside another one.
Hamden Mart is where the reshuffle is biggest
Hamden Mart has the largest of these moves. Walmart at 2300 Dixwell Avenue is adding 63,000 square feet, and according to the Happenings in Hamden July report, the store is set to become a full-service Supercenter by the end of 2027. The same report said the parking lot will be laid out again for traffic flow, safety and efficiency, with electric vehicle charging stalls added. In the Courant's August 9 story, Fontana described Walmart as already under construction. We haven't found a newer public update on how far the work has gotten or whether parts of the lot are closed off right now.
Ross is moving in next door in a renovated space of about 25,000 square feet that used to be Jo-Ann. It's one of three Connecticut Ross stores the Courant reported going into former Jo-Ann Fabric & Craft locations, along with Newington and Manchester. The state's first Ross opened in Trumbull in March. Fontana called Walmart's expansion "a strong sign of confidence in the town" and said the work would be going on "right next door" to Ross over the next year.
Put together, the next year at Hamden Mart looks like this. Two former anchors become one bigger anchor and one new one. Ross plans to open while Walmart's expansion is still being built, and a small shop that had been there for three decades is already gone.
What the next two weeks look like on and near Dixwell
Ross's planned Saturday, October 10 opening was posted on the company's website, according to The Connecticut Scoop, which reported these hours:
- Monday through Thursday: 8:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.
- Friday and Saturday: 8:30 a.m. to midnight
- Sunday: 9 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Opening dates for big retail stores can shift, so check with the store before you go.
The same weekend, the Hamden Police Department Police Activity League is sponsoring a Back-To-School Carnival at Hamden Town Center Park, October 9 through 12. Hours are 6 to 10 p.m. on Friday, 2 to 10 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, and 2 to 6 p.m. on Monday. Entry and parking are free. Saturday the 10th is both Ross's planned opening day and the carnival's first full afternoon.
Two days before, on Thursday, October 8, the Hamden Regional Chamber of Commerce is holding a free Health & Wellness Resource Festival from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. It takes place in Thornton Wilder Auditorium at Miller Memorial Library, 2901 Dixwell Avenue.
Small shops face the same churn with less cushion
Big stores can absorb a move. Small ones have a harder time. Mighty Donuts, the mini-donut shop known for its toppings and freshly squeezed lemonade, moved to 1700 Dixwell Avenue in March 2025, shortly after closing its original spot at 1166 Dixwell. Owner Yericka Estrada had said the move was about "a safer environment to our clients and employees, better lighting, parking spaces, etc." The shop closed permanently in July after nearly four years in Hamden. In the comments under the closing announcement, Estrada hinted at a possible return someday, or a different business. Villa Fleur lasted 30 years and still lost its spot when the anchor next to it needed more room.
Over on Whitney Avenue, small spaces turn over more slowly. Bagel Bagel opened last weekend in a former hair salon. Patch reported that plans for the shop were first announced last October. That's about eleven months from announcement to opening day for one storefront. The Connecticut Scoop lists daily hours of 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. and a starting lineup that includes plain, everything, cinnamon raisin and pumpernickel, with schmears like hot honey bacon and maple walnut.
The next Dixwell Avenue opening on the calendar is Ross on October 10, in the space Jo-Ann used to fill.
When a big store moves in next door, it can change traffic, parking and how quickly nearby spaces get leased. If you own near Hamden Mart or Hamden Plaza and want to know how that affects your home, the team at iVision Real Estate can go through it with you. Get Your Free Consultation.
