2 new national chain stores will replace Petco at SLO’s Madonna Plaza
The national chain stores Party City and Five Below are planning to divide the former Petco space at Madonna Plaza.
Two new retailers have submitted building applications and plan to open in the San Luis Obispo shopping center this year.
Petco closed its Madonna Plaza store on Dec. 19.
The city building department has confirmed permit applications have been filed to split the space roughly in half, but they’re yet not issued.
Five Below’s floor area consists of 10,003 square feet, and Party City has 10,036 square feet, said Michael Codron, the city’s community development director.
“Both projects have made it through the first round of building permit plan check,” Codron said. “The plans are back with the project architect to revise plans and resubmit. Projects like this usually go through two or three reviews.”
Both stores, national brands with other Central Coast locations, plan to open this summer, according to company officials.
Summer openings planned
Party City is said to be the largest party supply store in the U.S. with more than 850 locations. The company has a store in Santa Maria.
Party City Senior Vice President Tony Costanzo said in an email that the new SLO store — featuring a variety of party supply products for events such as birthdays, Valentine’s Day and more — plans to open in August.
“This new store will feature an experiential, open layout making it easier for customers to find all of the celebration products and solutions they need to bring their visions to life,” Costanzo said.
The new store will feature a balloon-heavy center stage with a dedicated kiosk in the middle.
“Lower shelf heights, shorter aisles, and smart navigation through the store enable easier access to our broad assortment of products and a more immersive overall shopping experience,” Costanzo said.
He added that Party City will offer curbside pickup and same-day delivery service — including balloon delivery — nationwide.
“San Luis Obispo’s and the greater Central Valley area is an outstanding community with a diverse and growing population that we know will respond well to the various ways Party City can help to make celebrations memorable,” Costanzo said. “From our research we understand that many residents in San Luis Obispo already shop at the neighboring Party City in Santa Maria, and it is our hope that a closer location will make shopping even more convenient.”
Party City hiring is expected to begin in the spring and interested candidates can go to partycity.jobs.net for more formation.
Five Below is a teen-oriented discount store with a location in Paso Robles. The retailer sells products that cost up to $5, plus an assortment of products from $6 to $25. The company has 1,200 stores in 40 states.
Five Below is tentatively projected for a summer opening, a store representative said in an email.
A specific month for move-in hasn’t yet been determined, but when the business is a couple of months away from opening, it will have more information to announce publicly around its plans, hiring and offerings, the Five Below representative told The Tribune.
This story was originally published January 14, 2022 at 9:00 AM.
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