Retailers adding new area stores
BROOKSVILLE – Hernando County is about to get its second O’Reilly Auto Parts Store.
Fresh on the heels of the chain’s debut opening in Brooksville, comes news that Springfield, Mo.-based O’Reilly has set its sight on an outparcel in front of the Winn-Dixie Shopping Plaza near Timber Pines, on the east side of the road.
And, a check with the county building department shows that yet another Dollar General may be on its way. This one is at the corner of Mariner Boulevard and Quality Drive, near Spring Hill Regional Hospital in Seven Hills.
O’Reilly Auto Parts Store’s location in downtown Brooksville, just north of the McDonald’s on U.S. 41, is the county’s first.
O’Reilly is making inroads into central and south Florida and plans to compete head-on with such stores as Discount Auto Parts, Advance Auto Parts and Auto Zone.
The chain is building a distribution center in Lakeland to handle the new Florida stores.
Mark Merz, director of external reporting and investor relations for O’Reilly Auto Parts, told Hernando Today in an earlier interview the chain considers various factors when selecting a store site, including easy truck access, demographics, economic climate and the number of competitors in the area.
The typical store is 7,100 square feet and employs 8-10 people.
Meanwhile, Dollar General has had a pre-application meeting with the building department about opening in Seven Hills, near County Line Road.
Dollar General is also expanding rapidly into Florida and Hernando Today reported a few months ago that another location is planned for the corner of U.S. 41 and Howell Avenue, in the triangle parcel near Damac Estates.
These latest store moves comes just weeks after Hernando Today reported that Family Dollar conducted a site review with county building staffers, paving the way for a new store at the corner of Deltona and Forest Oaks boulevards.
Located in a large residential area, the site meets the demographic criteria for the chain, according to Charlie Aldrich, construction manager with Hunt Real Estate Services Inc, developer for Family Dollar.
Both Family Dollar and Dollar General feature a large selection of grocery items, clothes, toiletries, toys and books.
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