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Ross signs lease for Hatch space
Ross
A banner announced the coming of Ross Dress for Less last week. - photo by JEFF BENZIGER/Courier photo

A banner hung outside the former Staples building on Hatch Road last week announced that Ross Dress for Less is entering the Ceres Marketplace Shopping Center.

The store space has been vacant - except for a seasonal use as a Halloween costume store - since Staples closed the Ceres store on June 28, 2014.

The national clothing chain has been around for 30 years and has grown to approximately 1,300 stores. Ross is affiliated with dd's discounts, which opened in Ceres last year.

"It's a nice move up in our apparel retailers in our city, and appeals to a very broad audience or base of consumers and would be a great addition to the Ceres retail market," said Steve Hallam, the city's Economic Development manager.

Hallam said last year he sent "cold call" emails to about 11 national retailers after Staples closed in an attempt to recruit a business to fill the space. Ross was one of those he contacted but he can't say for sure if his email is what triggered the retailer's interest in Ceres.

The Courier confirmed that a lease has been signed with the shopping center but unable to pin down an opening date. Attempts to contact the chain did not result in additional information.