A Rose By Any Name

As many of you are aware, REV Uptown is located in what was originally a Roses Store here in Uptown Wadesboro. One of the original decor plans for REV called for some framed prints of Roses Stores from that period. After conferring with Steve Bailey and finding that the Historical Society didn't have any photos of  the actual store, I decided to call Roses corporate office and see if they might be able to provide some. When I identified myself to the Roses representative on the line as the "economic development director from Wadesboro," he initially made some comments about "nothing finalized yet" before I explained the purpose of my call. I wrote it off to mistaken identity, but in retrospect...

The worst kept secret in Anson County right now is that Roses is returning to Wadesboro. They will be moving into the former Walmart space in Anson Station, between the Food Lion and the Tractor Supply. The store will be a Roses Express, which is a smaller footprint with a slightly more limited variety than a traditional Roses Store, but still a much greater selection than a Family Dollar or Dollar General.  In particular, Roses Express is known for carrying a larger selection of apparel items than those stores.

Work began last week on renovations to the building and the store is expected to open in time for the Christmas shopping season. When open, the store will employ about 40 workers.

As an economic developer, I'm not supposed to play favorites, but I will confess to having a soft spot in my heart for Roses. Their stores remind me of a discount store called Hills where my family shopped when I was young, and when we first moved to North Carolina in 1995, the only store anywhere near our house was the Roses in Cornelius. We bought a lot of stuff there that first year, including our first North Carolina Christmas tree and some ornaments that we still use. That store closed shortly after the new Target opened in Huntersville, as did many of the others in the state, but the chain is making a comeback by positioning itself as an alternative to the Walmart Supercenters and the dollar stores.