When running an errand on my bike downtown yesterday, I noticed that the space under construction at 325 Broadway had a business sign above the door: Wanderful.
Today, I remembe
red to Google it and this is what I read on its “about” page: “[…] Wanderful Media helps retailers bring consumers into local stores and gives consumers the most convenient way to discover local merchandise.”
Some of the biggest companies in American newspaper media (including MediaNews Group, parent company of the Enterprise-Record) are among the financial backers. Interesting.
What I was also unaware of until now is that Wanderful was already in Chico out at the airport, but they plan to relocate downtown soon. In doing so they will keep company with some of our other local tech outfits including Auctiva and EXL Landa (formerly Landacorp) just a few blocks away. Wanderful was referenced briefly in an article from 15 February in the E-R.
Should we be calling Chico the “Silicon Orchard” now?
The Chico location is Wanderful’s development and operations center, and I’m delighted to say that the headquarters is in my hometown of Los Gatos in the Santa Clara Valley. (I never call it Silicon Valley. Santa Clara Valley sounds so much better.) In case you don’t know, a very well-known company also calls Los Gatos home: Netflix.
A warm “walcome” to Wanderful!
It is a bit unusual for a business to leave the industrial environment at the Airport to downtown. But I appreciate the live-work environment that Downtown Chico is becoming. It does however place more focus on economic development of the airport enterprise district (zone is actually what it is called). Anyway, nice noticing, Greg. It is a walcome development.
So much to learn from downtown Los Gatos, Retail is the foundation to their vibrant downtown and even the downtown farmers market makes a positive contribution.
Any idea how Wanderful got around the zoning code ?…this requires a use permit and is contrary to the concepts and goals freshly minted in our General plan. Seems like policy makers would be in the know when were sacrificing our “vibrant” downtown to a use belonging above the store front core or along the fringe.
I wander if Los Gatos has a runaway teen drop-in center terrorizing their downtown….or do they point them to Chico, as does many other cities.