No Costco store seen on horizon
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 08/05/2025 (233 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Brandon is too small to attract a Costco store — and doesn’t have a suitable piece of serviced land to build it on, the city’s director of economic development told council this week.
Gerald Cathcart provided an update to council on Monday after Coun. Shawn Berry (Ward 7) asked why Brandon hasn’t attracted big names like Costco, if the city is posting big growth numbers. Berry asked Cathcart what hurdles the city is facing that prevent the retailer from showing interest.
“If we’re growing so much and we’re servicing the region so much, what’s preventing us from attracting something like that coming to Brandon?” said Berry. “Because you hear about it all the time at coffee shops: ‘When are we getting a Costco?’”
City of Brandon director of economic development Gerald Cathcart told council this week that the city's population is still not large enough to attract a Costco store. (Perry Bergson/The Brandon Sun files)
Cathcart responded that Brandon’s population is a major reason, but he also said that there are few opportunities to house such a big project in town. Cathcart said there’s a shortage of land available, and pointed to an example just weeks ago of an interested party out of Vancouver that was unable to find 15 acres in Brandon.
“Available, serviced land,” Cathcart said at council. “It’s not there.”
Speaking to the question of Costco, the director of economic development said he didn’t know population ranges that Costco looks for when selecting regions. But he told council he suspects the big-box corporation wants a community larger than Brandon’s estimated population of 58,000, based on numbers released last July by Statistics Canada.
If a Costco touched down in Brandon, it could also damage the business ecosystem, he added.
“As much as Costco would be a great place for shoppers, given the size of our city, it would be very, very impactful on our retail community,” said Cathcart. “Because we’re simply not big enough to support a Costco — I think of just the gasoline they serve, as a really quick example.”
The city plans to invest in land on the North Hill in the coming years to provide serviced land that can be developed. But when it comes to Costco, there’s no plans in place.
» cmcdowell@brandonsun.com