(Inter)national developers and national chains make national deals but with local consequences

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Update: Also see "Costco Targets Mall Space to Expand Its Reach," from the Wall Street Journal.
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The Costco at the Wheaton Mall is a big deal regionally and especially in Montgomery County and Wheaton. See "Costco mulls move to Wheaton>" and Wheaton players divided on Costco move" from the Gazette, and "Costco gas station at issue in Wheaton" from the Post.

There was a big hullabaloo over a gas station on the site, which for a long time was a deal breaker, and the county government seemed willing to bend, and give Costco a pass vis-a-vis the normal review requirements that are in place for gasoline stations, which from a zoning standpoint, are considered a necessary evil with additional review being necessary to reduce negative impacts.

But according to Retail Traffic Magazine, this Costco deal with Westfield in Wheaton is merely one of similar deals they are working on around the country. See "Westfield Reaches Deal to Bring Costco to Three Markets."

This kind of national agreement leasing is something that happens across the industry, and is one of the factors that makes it very difficult for independent retailers to compete in local markets.