Roses

Roses is a well-established discount retailer with a long history in the Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic United States. The company began in 1915, when Paul Howard Rose opened the first store in Henderson, North Carolina. Over the years, Roses became a familiar name in smaller towns and rural areas, known for its broad selection of general merchandise, apparel, home goods, and seasonal items at affordable prices.

A significant turning point came in 1997 when Variety Wholesalers, Inc., a privately held company led by Art Pope, acquired Roses and helped stabilize and grow the brand after a period of financial difficulty. Since then, Roses has continued to evolve, adapting to shifts in the retail landscape and consumer needs.

As of November 2025, Roses operates approximately 175 stores across 15 states, with a particular focus on North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Virginia, Tennessee, and Alabama. In recent years, the company has actively expanded its footprint by opening new stores and converting former big-box and discount retail locations, especially in underserved communities. This approach has allowed Roses to fill vacancies in shopping centers and bring value-focused retail back to areas that have lost other anchor tenants.

Roses is part of the Variety Wholesalers family, which operates over 370 stores under several banners. This scale provides the company with strong buying power and operational stability. The brand’s willingness to adapt its store formats and enter secondary and tertiary markets has made it a reliable tenant for a range of retail properties, supporting the revitalization of retail corridors and helping to drive consistent traffic to shopping centers.