Anyone driving through the intersection of Ga. highways 34 and 54 and Fischer Road in east Coweta County can’t help but notice the change. Well out of the ground on the northwest corner and expected to open in early 2011 is the 136,000 square-foot Sam’s Club.
County lines have a place of prominence in many areas, but not in business. Contacted earlier this week about the anticipated opening date, Sam’s Club Corporate Communications Manager Kristy Reed said the company’s Peachtree City store is expected to open early next year. Along with Coweta County residents, the store will likely draw plenty of business from Peachtree City and Fayette County, but the sales tax revenue generated there will remain in Coweta.
The 136,000 square-foot Sam’s Club will serve as the anchor for the northwest corner of the commercial development. In its current form, the nearly 800,000 square-foot Fischer Crossing development will span the northeast and northwest corners of the Hwy. 34/Fischer Road intersection.
As the crow flies, the entire Fischer Crossing development is approximately one-half mile west of the Ga. Highway 54 bridge at the Fayette County line. The Sam’s Club will be within two miles of its corporate sibling, a 24-hour Super Walmart in Wilksmoor Village in Peachtree City.
And just across Fischer Road on the northeast corner with Hwy. 34 and continuing a short distance east to the traffic light at Hwy. 34 and Hwy. 54 will be the portion of the Fischer Crossing development that will be anchored by the 10-12 screen NCG Theaters. Foundation work for the theater begins this weekend, with an anticipated opening near the end of the year, according to developer Scott Seymour.
Sam’s Club has 11 locations in metro Atlanta. The Coweta location will be the third Sam’s Club on the south side of Atlanta, the others being near Southlake Mall in Clayton County and near McDonough in Henry County.
Sam’s Club is a chain of more than 700 membership-only retail warehouse clubs in every state but Oregon and Vermont, according to Wikipedia. Owned and operated by Walmart Stores, Inc., the chain serves more than 47 million U.S. members, many of whom pay $25 a year for the membership card.
Most merchandise is sold in bulk and directly off pallets. Clubs are arranged much like a warehouse, with merchandise stocked in warehouse-style steel bins. Most locations also have have pharmacy, tire and battery, photo, bakery, optical, café and floral departments. Small businesses can buy at wholesale prices, minus sales taxes, on items they later re-sell.
