Here’s news: Sam’s Club not coming to Missoula

Sometimes no news becomes news, especially when it quashes rumors.

Over the past week, many Missoula residents have received circulars in the mailbox from Sam's Club, offering a $20 gift card with the purchase of a $45 savings membership.

The fliers, urging Missoula residents to become members, led to brief speculation that Sam's Club was gearing up to build and open a local store.

Turns out, it's not.

“We don't have any plans to open a club in Missoula,” said Sam's Club spokesperson Amy Wyatt-Moore. “It's likely those mailers are coming from the Great Falls club, which is about 200 miles away. It's a little far, but marketing tends to extend at least that far. There's no plan to open a club in Missoula anytime soon.”

While Sam's Club may not be coming to Missoula, several other wholesalers are coming to the Garden City, or looking to expand their current facilities.

Among them, the new Cash&Carry plans to open its wholesale food distribution center this summer in the old Staples location at 2501 Brooks Street. Headquartered in Portland, the company provides food in bulk to restaurants, caterers and other large buyers.

The Missoula store will be the company's first in Montana and the 62nd location overall.

Costco is also looking to build a new facility and is confirmed to be one of the potential buyers for property in the Missoula Development Park, located near the airport exit west of the city.