Roses (store)
| File:RosesStores.svg | |
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Retail |
| Genre | discount store |
| Founded | 1915 |
| Founder | Paul Howard Rose |
| Headquarters | Henderson, North Carolina |
Number of locations | 175 (2021) |
| Products | Food, drinks, snacks, toys, furniture, clothing, housewares, footwear, bedding, health & beauty, home décor, home improvement, electronics, pet supplies, outdoor & recreational equipment |
| Parent | Variety Wholesalers |
| Website | www |
Roses Discount Stores, initially known as Rose's 5¢ 10¢ 25¢ Stores, is a regional discount store chain based in Henderson, North Carolina. Concentrating its operations across fifteen states in the Southern United States, Roses functions as a subsidiary of Variety Wholesalers, which acquired the company in 1997. The chain manages roughly 175 locations and competes primarily with major retailers such as Walmart and Target. In 2010, Roses extended its reach beyond the South into states including Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana.
Early years
Established in Henderson in 1915 by businessman Paul Howard Rose (1880–1955), Roses originated as a local discount retailer following the end of a previous partnership. Initial growth saw stores open in nearby communities like Oxford (1916), Roxboro (1917), Louisburg (1918), and Roanoke Rapids (1918). By 1920, the company had expanded into South Carolina and Virginia and further into western North Carolina towns such as Lenoir and Statesville. Incorporated in 1927 with approximately 30 outlets, Roses continued to broaden its footprint into Tennessee by 1929 and Georgia by 1935, solidifying the primary market area that remains central to its business today.
While initially targeting smaller towns, Roses began entering metropolitan markets in 1938 by establishing multiple stores in Hampton Roads, Virginia—a significant urban region for the chain. Store number 105 opened on Colley Avenue in Norfolk that year, followed by a large department store three years later. By the onset of World War II, the chain operated 118 stores. During the war period, Roses further expanded by opening locations within government housing developments that served workers in Norfolk and Portsmouth’s war industries.
Expansion into shopping centers
Following World War II, Roses transitioned into shopping center locations beginning with an outlet at Midtown Center within Wards Corner in Norfolk. This move proved effective and was followed by new stores at Greenville’s Lewis Plaza, Raleigh’s Cameron Village, Greensboro’s Summit Center, and Jacksonville’s New River Plaza. Store footprints increased steadily over time, culminating with a 50,000 square foot “discount department store” at Pinewood Plaza in Spartanburg in 1961. Comparable large-format stores soon appeared in Greensboro, Louisville, Roanoke, and Virginia Beach. By 1965, Roses had opened a location in Morristown, Tennessee, signaling a strategic shift toward replacing smaller stores with larger shopping center formats throughout the following decades. These newer stores also enhanced their food service offerings by replacing lunch counters with full cafeterias.
In the late 1970s, Roses integrated its upscale PHR Center Shops into its primary operations while consolidating smaller outlets under the "P.H. Rose Variety Stores" banner. In 1984, the company divested more than 50 of these smaller stores to Variety Wholesalers to concentrate on expanding larger-format retail locations.
Challenges and Subsequent Progress
During the early 1980s, Wal-Mart's expansion into Roses' primary markets led to a substantial decline in both its market share and profitability. Roses sought protection under Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1993 and successfully restructured, emerging from bankruptcy by May 1995. By 1997, when operating 106 locations, Roses was acquired by Variety Wholesalers. Under Variety's management, the company quickly returned to profitability and doubled its number of stores through aggressive growth. In 2001, the parent company adopted the name Variety Stores, Inc., while maintaining the Roses brand identity.
Between 2011 and 2012, Roses made a return to the Jacksonville, Florida market with new outlets on Arlington Road and Lem Turner Road (the latter occupying a former Kmart site). The retailer had previously expanded into Florida during the early 1970s as one of the fastest-growing chains at the time but withdrew due to logistical difficulties stemming from distribution centers primarily located in the Carolinas.
In mid-2012, Roses introduced an experimental store format in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, combining discount retail with grocery offerings including fresh produce, meat, dairy, and frozen goods. By 2015, this grocery section was replaced by a Save-a-Lot franchise operated by Variety Wholesalers next to a Roses store in Raleigh. However, the Elizabeth City Save-a-Lot location ceased operations by September 2017.
On May 11, 2024, after serving customers for 45 years, the Roses store in Ocean City, Maryland permanently closed its doors.