Happy rainy Monday to you. You may have read a story that I wrote last week about the possibility of a retail development coming to an area along I-581 and Hershberger Road, near Valley View Mall. A Wisconsin developer, Continental Properties, apparently has been contacting residents in a small community off Ordway Drive, related to its desire to land new retail in this area. Continental is known for building retail centers that carry Kohl’s and Costco.

I called Costco related to this story, and a spokesperson returned my call on Friday, after the story was published. A spokesperson for this discount warehouse retailer said the company would not discuss future plans for new stores. Kohl’s said the same thing, and I reported that in the story.

As the world of retail reporting continues to unfold for me, I’ve learned not to expect national retailers to say much, if anything, about their future plans for new sites. They’re really not obligated to divulge details if a lease isn’t signed, and many are afraid to give away secrets to the media for fear that a deal could fall apart.

But if you read between the lines, these retailers often do not say whether or not they are considering an area. They just state in a typical corporate speak that a certain area is not in their immediate store opening plan.

On one particularly irritating occasion several years ago, a national retailer (a book store) told me that it was not planning any new Roanoke area stores after I inquired about it. But the next day, I received a news release from this retailer about a new store in the works for Roanoke. Likely they were writing this news release the day they spoke with me!

So, I mention all of this to say that Kohl’s and Costco could very well already be scouting the Roanoke area for potential stores. But likely we won’t find out that news directly from them.

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• Posted by Jenny Kincaid Boone in Stores
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