Many of the 60 new stores planned for the 865-unit Children's Place, will be between 5,500 sf to 6,000 sf, up from the current average of 4,500 sf, to make way for new shoe departments. Most of the 25 remodels in the children's-clothing chain will add the departments as well. "Shoes are our major focus of any additional category," said Neal Goldberg, president of the chain, during the company's fourth-quarter conference call.

Disney Stores, of which 20 are to open this year, are slated to start getting an updated look in August. However, Children's Place still needs approval from the Walt Disney Co., from which it licenses the 328-store chain. Additionally, executives revealed that Children's Place and Disney are currently in a licensing dispute in which Disney officials claim the terms of the companies' agreement related to store remodels and maintenance have been breached. The two companies are in negotiations.

Both Children's Place chains have "lots of growth ahead of us," says Ezrah Dabah, the company's chief executive officer. Children's Place could support 1,200 units, while Disney could grow to more than 600 stores, he says.