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The Grocery Store Market in Northwest Arkansas


Mith242

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It doesn't take an economist to realize that WM HQ supplies 13,000 jobs directly to NWA and the vendors probably another 5-7,000. So without 20,000 good (mostly really good) jobs, this area would be quite a bit different.

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Ok ...good greef.

Just for you Pro Walmart peeps and your low price soap-box. Wal-Mart is able to provide low prices because they are heavily subsidized by taxpayers. In addition to relying on public health care for their employees, Wal-Mart has benefited from over $1 billion in economic development subsidies. Most jobs at Wal-Mart have little or no health benefits. Wal-Mart encourages its workers to seek public assistance for their health care. A new Wal-Mart destroys jobs by putting local merchants out of business. The jobs Wal-Mart creates are fewer, lower-paying and mostly part-time.

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At this rate I'm going to have to dig out the Wal-mart topic. I will say this though, it seems to me that Wal-mart seems to take the blame for what basically most retailers are doing. I guess there's the tendency to just pick on the biggest one.

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Is Wal-Mart a good corporate citizen? No, probably a profound no. Does Wal-Mart treat it's employees perfectly? Most definitely a profound no. Is Wal-Mart good for NWA (the original statement)? Most certainly yes.

This site isn't a soapbox to bash WM for all its social woes, it is a development forum. WM contributes heavily to the urban development of NWA. Shop there if you want, no one really cares. As long as they are the economic engine making this area grow, they are a GOOD thing for this area.

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Is Wal-Mart a good corporate citizen? No, probably a profound no. Does Wal-Mart treat it's employees perfectly? Most definitely a profound no. Is Wal-Mart good for NWA (the original statement)? Most certainly yes.

This site isn't a soapbox to bash WM for all its social woes, it is a development forum. WM contributes heavily to the urban development of NWA. Shop there if you want, no one really cares. As long as they are the economic engine making this area grow, they are a GOOD thing for this area.

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I will support whoever has the best prices. The low prices at Walmart do come at a cost. The cost is defeating inflation. If it puts others out of business, oh well, that is what Capitalism is all about.
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Didn't really know until I came to this thread that Kroger isn't a factor in the NW Arkansas grocery market. Ever since the bankruptcy of Harvest Foods several years back, Kroger has been particularly dominant around Little Rock. (In the city proper, there are eight locations, plus four in North Little Rock.)

Harvest Foods, or course, was a nice chain before the bankruptcy, and then its assets got split up three ways — part to Kroger, part to Brookshire's (most places in Arkansas from Malvern southward), and the rest to an arm of Affiliated Foods (who retained the Harvest Foods name). The stores which became Brookshire's actually remind me more of the feel of the independent Harvest Foods, and of Safeway that preceded it.

Kroger is often my choice over Wal-Mart, simply because of convenience and merchandise I find at most Kroger stores near me. I do go to a couple of Wal-Marts, particularly the SuperCenter on Chenal Parkway, to occasionally get other items. It's really a question of value (not to be confused with lowest price) for me, and each chain has its merits and drawbacks, but both easily beat the current Harvest Foods, which perhaps should be bought by Harp's.

We do have a small presence from Harp's in peripheral areas of the Little Rock metro, with an actual Harp's in Vilonia (a former Town & Country Supermarket, like Van Buren had, I think), and Harp's-owned Price Cutter stores in Cabot and Conway. The scene in Conway is far more competitive, where Harvest Foods was pushed out completely and there is more than one location each of Kroger and Wal-Mart along with a very large Price Cutter (a former Food 4 Less). Cabot's Price Cutter competes against a long-standing local grocer (Knight's), Kroger and Wal-Mart. I'm not sure if Price Cutter is positioned differently than the standard Harp's stores, but the Cabot store never really wowed me all that much.

Something else that hasn't made much impact yet to me is Little Rock's adjustment to Whole Foods, which was Wild Oats here, which was Beans Grains & Things even before that. The store just feels... transitional. Don't know how much work they'll really put into it before moving out of the neighborhood. Maybe the stores built originally to be Whole Foods locations are more impressive. The Fresh Market, one exit north up the freeway, certainly does make a favorable impression, and it's a fun place to splurge. From what I've read of the high-dollar development in Rogers, I'd not be surprised to see one eventually land there.

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Didn't really know until I came to this thread that Kroger isn't a factor in the NW Arkansas grocery market. Ever since the bankruptcy of Harvest Foods several years back, Kroger has been particularly dominant around Little Rock. (In the city proper, there are eight locations, plus four in North Little Rock.)

Harvest Foods, or course, was a nice chain before the bankruptcy, and then its assets got split up three ways

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Yeah it's sorta weird that none of the major chains have any representation here in NWA. Funny thing though is that I've gotten the impression that in the past there were some stores up here. I'm pretty sure one of my coworkers has told me there used to be at least one Kroger store in Fayetteville a while back. In the past maybe we weren't just big enough to attract much attention of the major chains. But now you'd think the area was big enough. I don't have any problems with Harp's, it's just weird to not see any other choices except for a handful of other stores. Harp's has been moving closer and closer to central Arkansas. In the past they seemed to move into larger markets outside of NWA. But it looks like that's changing soon. It's not a done deal but it looks like their going to move into Tulsa. If things go well there I could see them going into Little Rock and testing the waters there.

Speaking of Rogers one of the vendors I deal with at work gave me the impression another grocery store has opened up in the Pinnacle Hills area. Maybe something rather similar to the Market at Pinnacle Hills. Has anyone heard anything about this? I was surprised because it seemed like I'd heard no mention at all of it before it opened.

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I'll have to give the salmon a try. Do you eat much shrimp? You should try some of the jumbo (16/20) Gulf shrimp from Richard's. They aren't much more than WM and are so much better you will be amazed.
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Perhaps even more importantly, it continues to draw healthy traffic a full year after it opened. Though, there's not really anything truly comparable to The Fresh Market in the metro. (Brannon's Market was similar, but less elaborate and hit the city a bit too early.) So that worked in its favor. Its true achievement is in being able to successfully court the upscale consumers in western and northwestern Little Rock, as well as those from over the river in Maumelle.

Speaking of fresh merchandise, a recent article in Arkansas Business makes mention of the growing trend toward operation of farmers' markets in both large and small cities, citing low startup costs. But the growth of markets like the one at Little Rock's River Market pavilions and the new market in North Little Rock's Argenta district is tempered by the rising prices of gas and other costs associated with production and transportation of goods. For established farmers' markets, one of the Little Rock television stations reported somewhat diminished participation among vendors.

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I have had that shrimp from Richard's and you are right--it is good. I also like the New Zealand lamb chops from there. The Chilean sea bass from the seafood place at Evelyn hills is fantastic but costs something like $27 a pound (crazy expensive).

M

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Perhaps even more importantly, it continues to draw healthy traffic a full year after it opened. Though, there's not really anything truly comparable to The Fresh Market in the metro. (Brannon's Market was similar, but less elaborate and hit the city a bit too early.) So that worked in its favor. Its true achievement is in being able to successfully court the upscale consumers in western and northwestern Little Rock, as well as those from over the river in Maumelle.

Speaking of fresh merchandise, a recent article in Arkansas Business makes mention of the growing trend toward operation of farmers' markets in both large and small cities, citing low startup costs. But the growth of markets like the one at Little Rock's River Market pavilions and the new market in North Little Rock's Argenta district is tempered by the rising prices of gas and other costs associated with production and transportation of goods. For established farmers' markets, one of the Little Rock television stations reported somewhat diminished participation among vendors.

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They look ambitious. Like they want this to be more the type of little place you might find in a city like Chicago or NY. They seem to have a deli, the seafood area, and other fresh made stuff. Really interested to see what it'll be like when open...whenever that is.
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  • 4 weeks later...

Sounds like there's a chance the Marvin's IGA on N. College might have to move. They just lease that building and the owner is looking to sell. He's trying to get the county to buy it instead of the Fulbright Building that's been mentioned. Of course nothing has been decided. Marvin's IGA could have an option to buy it themselves. But I don't think they'd have the money. Especially considering they had to file for bankruptcy 2-3 years ago. I would have a hard time seeing a bank loaning them $4.5 Mil. It could be possible that their main distributor AWG might loan them the money. But even if they don't buy it who knows who might end up with it. The county might not buy it and whoever the new owner might be might continue to lease it out to Marvin's IGA. If they did have to move, I have no idea where they would consider going.

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