72 replies to this topic

[Mith242]

Architect, on 11 July 2011 - 10:24 PM, said:

Arkansas Business is reporting that Wal-Mart will sign a lease to occupy the former Harvest Foods at Cantrell and Riverfront drive by the end of July. Contrary to earlier reports of it being a standard Wal-Mart, it will likely be a Neighborhood Market.

Any possibilities of it being one of the new Walmart Express formats?  The few they have tried out in NWA seem to be doing well.  I imagine it won't be long before they start popping up in central Arkansas.  From what I can tell it's somewhat of Walmarts take on Walgreens I believe.  Or at least I think they're trying to move in on some of Walgreens success.

[Architect]

Mith - I believe it's much too large of a box for that. In fact, the original rumor was that it would be a full Wal-Mart, not a Neighborhood Market.

[comreguy]

Mith242, on 15 July 2011 - 02:59 PM, said:

Any possibilities of it being one of the new Walmart Express formats?  The few they have tried out in NWA seem to be doing well.  I imagine it won't be long before they start popping up in central Arkansas.  From what I can tell it's somewhat of Walmarts take on Walgreens I believe.  Or at least I think they're trying to move in on some of Walgreens success.

The Express is actually to combat the dollar stores more than to combat Walgreens. They are a small town store that will expand into areas in which a neighborhood market would be too large.

[Arkanzin]

According to an article I read, the concept for  the Riverdale Walmart is a "mini" Super Center concept.  

See: Shackleford Crossings Walmart for "mini" Super Center.

[thewizard16]

Arkanzin, on 18 July 2011 - 01:33 PM, said:

According to an article I read, the concept for  the Riverdale Walmart is a "mini" Super Center concept.  

See: Shackleford Crossings Walmart for "mini" Super Center.

The Shackleford Crossings store isn't really a mini supercenter. It is smaller than the NLR or Cantrell stores, which are towards the higher end for supercenter size, but it is not significantly smaller than many other supercenters around the state or country. A better look at a small supercenter layout would be like the newer stores built in towns like Mountain View, Lonoke, or Flippin- all of which tend to be around or under 100,000 sq. ft. They are much smaller than a regular supercenter (or the Shackleford store) while attempting to retain the core of each department in the store. Shackleford is an example of them fitting a supercenter in where there really wasn't space for a huge one, so they cut down on the footprint a little, cut the tire and lube express, and did things a little differently with their layout. The Shackleford Crossings store is actually a little larger than the new Maumelle/NLR supercenter, which is the most similar store to it in the area.

[cozmosis]

thewizard16, on 18 July 2011 - 03:20 PM, said:

The Shackleford Crossings store isn't really a mini supercenter. It is smaller than the NLR or Cantrell stores, which are towards the higher end for supercenter size, but it is not significantly smaller than many other supercenters around the state or country. A better look at a small supercenter layout would be like the newer stores built in towns like Mountain View, Lonoke, or Flippin- all of which tend to be around or under 100,000 sq. ft.

On the topic of Wal-Mart Supercenters, Monticello has one of the first Supercenters built in Arkansas (constructed circa 1989). I believe it was in the neighborhood of 115-120k square feet when constructed and it has been expanded at least once. Even more surprising than a small town in southeast Arkansas would be chosen early in the Supercenter roll-out is that the store is still in operation. The town's first Wal-Mart was open approximately nine years. The Supercenter has been open 22. However, it seems that Wal-Mart has started to renovate more stores as opposed to abandoning old properties and building new ones. (Malvern has two "old" Wal-Marts.)

[Arkanzin]

thewizard16, on 18 July 2011 - 03:20 PM, said:

The Shackleford Crossings store isn't really a mini supercenter. It is smaller than the NLR or Cantrell stores, which are towards the higher end for supercenter size, but it is not significantly smaller than many other supercenters around the state or country. A better look at a small supercenter layout would be like the newer stores built in towns like Mountain View, Lonoke, or Flippin- all of which tend to be around or under 100,000 sq. ft. They are much smaller than a regular supercenter (or the Shackleford store) while attempting to retain the core of each department in the store. Shackleford is an example of them fitting a supercenter in where there really wasn't space for a huge one, so they cut down on the footprint a little, cut the tire and lube express, and did things a little differently with their layout. The Shackleford Crossings store is actually a little larger than the new Maumelle/NLR supercenter, which is the most similar store to it in the area.

The "mini" supercenter comment was made with tongue in cheek.  I haven't liked that store since it opened.  It's just horrible.   I can't wait until the old Walmart re-opens.  I hope they don't do a "Hillcrest Kroger" type renovation.

[thewizard16]

Arkanzin, on 19 July 2011 - 03:05 PM, said:

The "mini" supercenter comment was made with tongue in cheek.  I haven't liked that store since it opened.  It's just horrible.   I can't wait until the old Walmart re-opens.  I hope they don't do a "Hillcrest Kroger" type renovation.

Gotcha. I actually liked that store when it opened because I thought the grocery department looked a lot nicer and the exterior design of the store was interesting, but I've grown tired of it already. The parking lot was not only poorly planned, it is already falling apart. The store itself never seems to have sufficient registers open and the checkout lanes aren't for the claustrophobic. And there are issues with stocking and variety, but I assume part of that is because it is a bit smaller. I agree that I am looking forward to the Bowman location reopening- it's not any closer to my house but that location is better for the type of stores I shop at.

As for the Riverdale location, I don't know how well a Neighborhood Market will suit that spot, I was hoping the earlier rumors of it being a supercenter were accurate. That location would have been an interesting spot for a small supercenter, and I think it would have done well (and been better for that shopping center), but the Neighborhood Market is better than an empty storefront.

[ArkansasTraveler]

Mith242, on 15 July 2011 - 02:59 PM, said:

Any possibilities of it being one of the new Walmart Express formats?  The few they have tried out in NWA seem to be doing well.  I imagine it won't be long before they start popping up in central Arkansas.  From what I can tell it's somewhat of Walmarts take on Walgreens I believe.  Or at least I think they're trying to move in on some of Walgreens success.

My understanding is that the building is too big for the Express format, and is in fact a bit big for the Neighborhood Market concept that will be used for the space.  I would like to see the smaller format set up shop elsewhere around the area, though I'd be hard-pressed to come up with an ideal location to start.  Seems right for an area with an especially dense population.

Edited by ArkansasTraveler, 20 July 2011 - 08:38 AM.

[ArkansasTraveler]

Arkanzin, on 19 July 2011 - 03:05 PM, said:

The "mini" supercenter comment was made with tongue in cheek.  I haven't liked that store since it opened.  It's just horrible.   I can't wait until the old Walmart re-opens.  I hope they don't do a "Hillcrest Kroger" type renovation.

If anything fits the mold of a mini-Supercenter, it's the Lonoke store.  But interestingly, I think that location and others of its scale represent Walmart's overall shift away from the old "Discount City" model that hardly included any groceries at all, while building in large and small communities.  More of Walmart's newer locations, as I see them, aim for a better-rounded shopping experience — if still incomplete, in several instances.  I do wish Lonoke's store was bigger for the community's sake, since it doubles as the only grocer in town after the Affiliated Foods meltdown.

[Mith242]

comreguy, on 18 July 2011 - 09:37 AM, said:

The Express is actually to combat the dollar stores more than to combat Walgreens. They are a small town store that will expand into areas in which a neighborhood market would be too large.

You may be right, they remind me of something that would compete with Walgreens.  But so far they have focused on putting them into small towns.  But I wouldn't be surprised to see them maybe do something very similar and start plugging them into urban markets as well.  Despite the success of Walmart in NWA.  It certainly hasn't kept Walgreens from coming in and having a lot of success themselves and putting in a lot of stores right in Walmart's backyard.

cozmosis, on 18 July 2011 - 09:12 PM, said:

On the topic of Wal-Mart Supercenters, Monticello has one of the first Supercenters built in Arkansas (constructed circa 1989). I believe it was in the neighborhood of 115-120k square feet when constructed and it has been expanded at least once. Even more surprising than a small town in southeast Arkansas would be chosen early in the Supercenter roll-out is that the store is still in operation. The town's first Wal-Mart was open approximately nine years. The Supercenter has been open 22. However, it seems that Wal-Mart has started to renovate more stores as opposed to abandoning old properties and building new ones. (Malvern has two "old" Wal-Marts.)

Actually I remember that supercenter down there.  I was still living around that part of the state at the time.  Walmart hasn't always used the local area to test out their new ideas.  For a while they were testing out some of their new concepts out of state.  But recently seem to have shifted back to using Arkansas and in particular NWA as a location to test their new formats.

ArkansasTraveler, on 20 July 2011 - 08:38 AM, said:

My understanding is that the building is too big for the Express format, and is in fact a bit big for the Neighborhood Market concept that will be used for the space.  I would like to see the smaller format set up shop elsewhere around the area, though I'd be hard-pressed to come up with an ideal location to start.  Seems right for an area with an especially dense population.

From what I'm hearing from everyone, yeah it sounds like that location is too large.  But I still think they'll eventually start pushing some of these new formats down in central Arkansas.

[Architect]

Wal-Mart has now officially applied for a plumbing permit as a "Neighborhood Market" for the Riverdale location.

[schwilj]

Work has begun on the Neighborhood Market, and this morning I noticed some signs advertising the coming store on the fencing they put up around the parking lot.  Let's home they make the building look nice, the Riverdale Center could use some updating.