Potomac Local broke the news that the store was closing on March 2, 2024, prompting discussion in our website comment section and social media about what should replace the big-box electronics store that opened 16 years ago.
Nearly 220 people responded. We received snarky responses, like “something we don’t already have three of in Woodbridge or Fredericksburg,” data center, to some civically-minded suggestions like a community center that would double as a mass inoculation facility.
However, there were five common responses.
1. Trader Joe’s
2. Movie theater
3. Costco
4. Bowling alley
5. Microcenter
Stafford County has been without a movie theater since bulldozers razed the Regal Cinemas 10 at Aquia Town Center in 2016. A promised 12-screen movie house replacement slated for The Garrison at Stafford, on Route 610 in North Stafford, has never materialized.
However, Raising Cane’s restaurant may be a sign of life for the dormant development, which held a ceremonial ground-breaking two years ago.
A bowling alley once existed on Greenspring Drive in North Stafford, near a Walmart Supercenter. As for residents’ wish for a specialty grocer like Trader Joe’s, it’s taken years for neighboring Princ William County to attract a Whole Foods grocery store slated to open in Woodbridge. Prince William County is twice the size of Stafford.
None of these suggestions are new; they date back to at least 2015, when the county asked residents for a retail “wish list,” asking them what retailers they would like to see open in the county.
Gyms, complete with a rock climbing wall and a large children’s partyplace venue, also made the list.
The common refrain as to why some large retailers don’t choose Stafford is that there aren’t enough homes in the county to support some of the larger stores, and the desired stores already have locations in Woodbridge and in or near Fredericksburg.
Meanwhile, a Best Buy spokesman told us the store closure is part of their routine review process when leases come up for renewal.
The company actively assists employees in finding positions at nearby stores or within Best Buy. Customers are encouraged to continue shopping at nearby locations near Potomac Mills mall and Central Park in Fredericksburg or online through the Best Buy app and website.
The decision is part of Best Buy’s strategy to adapt to the diverse needs of customers and communities.
The company is moving away from a one-size-fits-all approach and introducing various store formats like Experience stores, Outlet stores, traditional stores, and small pop-up stores. This allows them to better cater to each community’s unique preferences and shopping habits, aiming to enhance the overall customer experience.
Correction: This story’s earlier version incorrectly reported that a Trader Joes would open in Prince William County.
