Filene's Basement opens Maryland store

Filene's Basement, the putative birthplace of the Hub bargain, is about to open another store in suburban Baltimore.

Plans call for the chain to open a store next week in Hunt Valley, Md., its second in the area.

Filene's Basement operates 26 stores in such markets as Atlanta, Chicago, and Pittsburgh _ none more famous than its flagship in Boston's Downtown Crossing, where shopping can be a contact sport.

A pioneer in off-price shopping _ selling brand name goods at prices below department stores', Filene's Basement recently disclosed plans to open some stores in high-rent districts.

Filene's Basement is a division of Retail Ventures Inc. of Ohio.
(By Chris Reidy, Globe staff)