Wal-Mart moving out of a Louisiana town

[NCB]

I really feel bad for Homer, but I also understand that the purpose of running a business is to make money, and Wal-Mart clearly wasn't making enough money. I'm sure it was more trouble than it was worth, considering they had to pay the employees and run the store, and they likely weren't making much in return.

Yea, you feel bad when situations like these come up, but in the end you have to remember that in the end Wal-Mart is just another business, and this was a business decision.

I'm just not used to hearing about Wal-Mart having to close its stores. We're getting ready to build another Supercenter and a Sams Club here in Covington to bring the total number of Wal-Mart stores up to three in this city. And the Wal-Mart in Hammond was the most profitable Wal-Mart in the country for many many weeks after Katrina. That's the kind of Wal-Mart news I'm used to hearing about.

[dimebag1980]

Yea, you feel bad when situations like these come up, but in the end you have to remember that in the end Wal-Mart is just another business, and this was a business decision.

I'm just not used to hearing about Wal-Mart having to close its stores. We're getting ready to build another Supercenter and a Sams Club here in Covington to bring the total number of Wal-Mart stores up to three in this city. And the Wal-Mart in Hammond was the most profitable Wal-Mart in the country for many many weeks after Katrina. That's the kind of Wal-Mart news I'm used to hearing about.

THREE in Covington!?!? That's including the Sam's right!? Because as far as Wal-Mart stores alone, Shreveport has 3 with a 4th under construction, and 1 Sam's Club. And that's with a population of 200,000. The other one closed years ago and the existing one replaced another old one. That brings up another issue... this city has had numerous Sam's Club "boxes" come up empty over the years as well. One of them, I know, is still sitting empty off the side of 3132.

Right now, all Bossier City has is 1 Wal-Mart Supercenter, though it's been rumored for years that one would be built in south Bossier... and lately that another one would be built out Airline Drive near Benton. Who knows... but as it stands, only 1 store. I'm not sure who owns the land next to it, but it's the only undeveloped huge piece of land in that area and I think it would make a great Sam's location, especially with all the other new stores being built out there.

I'm torn with Wal-Mart... I like them on some levels and dislike them on others. But in the end, they are a business to beat all businesses and they started as a freakin five-and-dime store!!!!

[NCB]

THREE in Covington!?!? That's including the Sam's right!? Because as far as Wal-Mart stores alone, Shreveport has 3 with a 4th under construction, and 1 Sam's Club. And that's with a population of 200,000. The other one closed years ago and the existing one replaced another old one. That brings up another issue... this city has had numerous Sam's Club "boxes" come up empty over the years as well. One of them, I know, is still sitting empty off the side of 3132.

Yea, the three figure includes the Sams Club. We'll have two Supercenters.

This city is growing extremely fast man! It was one of the fastest growing parts of the fastest growing parish in Louisiana pre-Katrina, and I seriously wouldn't be suprised if the Covington area alone was one of the fastest growing areas in the state right now. There city is growing outward in every direction, and even though the city population was only about 9,000 pre-Katrina, the area around Covington had a population of at least 20,000. And most estimates say that at least 25,000-30,000 people have moved to the area in the last few months since Katrina. And believe me, you can tell.

[dimebag1980]

Yea, the three figure includes the Sams Club. We'll have two Supercenters.

This city is growing extremely fast man! It was one of the fastest growing parts of the fastest growing parish in Louisiana pre-Katrina, and I seriously wouldn't be suprised if the Covington area alone was one of the fastest growing areas in the state right now. There city is growing outward in every direction, and even though the city population was only about 9,000 pre-Katrina, the area around Covington had a population of at least 20,000. And most estimates say that at least 25,000-30,000 people have moved to the area in the last few months since Katrina. And believe me, you can tell.

I would like to see the city of Covington, but I'd have a hard time getting my wife to understand why I'd want to explore the suburbs when the city of New Orleans is so much fun.

[NCB]

I would like to see the city of Covington, but I'd have a hard time getting my wife to understand why I'd want to explore the suburbs when the city of New Orleans is so much fun.

Haha, yea I can understand that. Maybe when you make it down here, you can go out to find a grocery store, and accidentally end up on the other side of Lake Ponchartrain in Covington.

Oh, and I don't want to bring the thread even more off-topic and keep boasting about Covington, but I am proud of this city for landing the new major Chevron office, complete with the 500 jobs that it will bring to the Northshore. I hated to see Chevron have to leave downtown New Orleans, but there are many places they could've taken those jobs across the Gulf Coast, and I'm very happy they chose Covington.

[dimebag1980]

Haha, yea I can understand that. Maybe when you make it down here, you can go out to find a grocery store, and accidentally end up on the other side of Lake Ponchartrain in Covington.

Oh, and I don't want to bring the thread even more off-topic and keep boasting about Covington, but I am proud of this city for landing the new major Chevron office, complete with the 500 jobs that it will bring to the Northshore. I hated to see Chevron have to leave downtown New Orleans, but there are many places they could've taken those jobs across the Gulf Coast, and I'm very happy they chose Covington.

Yeah the Chevron project is awesome for Covington, no doubt. That proves there is something to that city.

Oh, and to keep my response on-topic, I'll include a few keywords...

Wal-Mart, Louisiana, Homer

There.

[NCB]

Oh, and to keep my response on-topic, I'll include a few keywords...

Wal-Mart, Louisiana, Homer

There.

Brilliant, now "they" will never know we went off-topic...

[dimebag1980]

Brilliant, now "they" will never know we went off-topic...

Exactly, Mr. Sam Walton, exactly...

[richyb83]

BR and the rest of the metro area is ruled by Wal-Mart.

There are 5 Wal Mart Super Centers in BR(including Central); Also one in Zachary, Baker, Prarieville, Denham Springs, and Walker. I think Gonzales has one too ? It's forcing Albertson's and Winn Dixie to make some closures.

I was sorry to see New Orleans lose a major shipping company to Mobile the other day.

[NCB]

BR and the rest of the metro area is ruled by Wal-Mart.

There are 5 Wal Mart Super Centers in BR(including Central); Also one in Zachary, Baker, Prarieville, Denham Springs, and Walker. I think Gonzales has one too ? It's forcing Albertson's and Winn Dixie to make some closures.

Yea you can't go a mile in metro Baton Rouge without seeing a Wal-Mart, and from what I've seen, it doesn't matter how many they build, because every one of them is doing very well business-wise.

[dimebag1980]

BR and the rest of the metro area is ruled by Wal-Mart.

There are 5 Wal Mart Super Centers in BR(including Central); Also one in Zachary, Baker, Prarieville, Denham Springs, and Walker. I think Gonzales has one too ? It's forcing Albertson's and Winn Dixie to make some closures.

I've looked at Wal-Mart's website for Louisiana locations and was amazed at how many there were in the Baton Rouge area. But I was looking at Baton Rouge from the standpoint of it having 225,000 people... not a metro area of 700,000-800,000 people. That's when the numbers began to make sense. It seems like 1 store for every 100,000 people in the metro... similar to the way it is here.

[richyb83]

I was sorry to see there was a major shipping company that moved out of NO a few days ago to Mobile. They made an offer the company could not refuse.

[NCB]

I've looked at Wal-Mart's website for Louisiana locations and was amazed at how many there were in the Baton Rouge area. But I was looking at Baton Rouge from the standpoint of it having 225,000 people... not a metro area of 700,000-800,000 people. That's when the numbers began to make sense. It seems like 1 store for every 100,000 people in the metro... similar to the way it is here.

Yea, when you look at it in that way, it does make sense. For some reason though, it just seems like there are 100 Wal-Mart's in metro Baton Rouge when I'm driving through, I guess it's because many of them seem like they're so close together.

[NCB]

I was sorry to see there was a major shipping company that moved out of NO a few days ago to Mobile. They made an offer the company could not refuse.

I know that there were 150 jobs that went with the company, but if a company like that only wants to stay in New Orleans if the MR-GO, which was the main reason most of Saint Bernard Parish was desimated during Katrina, stays open, then they can leave.

It was a round-about business deal. About 5 years ago, the larger shipping company in Mobile bought the smaller shipping company in New Orleans, and moved its employees here. And now, the entire thing is being moved back to Mobile.

[richyb83]

BR's 225,000 is crazy to me . bec places you would think are in the city limits are not. According to census the unincorporated area of Shenandoah had 17,000 people(more now); and several other unincorporated areas that you would think were in BR city limits such as Millerville, Oak Hills Place, Bluebonnet north of I-10, Monticello, Glen Oaks/Merrydale would make the population alot higher than the 225,000. I'll check out those figures of those areas and add them all up. I did that before, but I forgot the exact number.

Thanks for the info Nate.

[NCB]

^Yea, Baton Rouge's city limits are only about 79 sq. miles large. If Baton Rouge and EBR Parish consolidated, there would probably nowpost-Katrina be something like at least 470,000 people in 455 sq. miles of land.

Major Louisiana cities in size(sq. miles of land only)

New Orleans- 484,000 in 180 sq. miles of land

Baton Rouge- 224,000 in 79 sq. miles of land

Shreveport- 200,000 in 103 sq. miles of land

Lafayette- 110,000 in 47 sq. miles of land

Lake Charles- 72,000 in 42 sq. miles of land

Kenner- 70,000 in 15 sq. miles of land

Overall, Louisiana cities in general aren't that large in terms of sq. miles of land. If you stuck a 455 sq. foot city in there with Louisiana cities, it would seem very big, but that's not the case in many other states. That's another reason why city populations can be very misleading. Oklahoma City for example, would seem like a very big city, with its 525,000 city population figure, but that is in over 600 sq. miles of land. Compare that to Louisiana cities.

[NCB]

One more impressive population density figure I wanted to add was Miami:

Miami- 382,894 in 55 sq. miles of land

[richyb83]

Wow, that was quick ! Thanks for the info. Do the qualifications of moderator also include being an urban encyclopedia ?

It would seem to me that BR should be annexed to include about 100 square miles. And have a pop. around 280,000, if it was up to me and I had to guess ? BR probably will never consolidate with EBR Parish; Baker, Zachary, and now Central(recently became new city) have seperate school districts. Zachary's pop. is also up near the top in the fastest growing in the state. But not like Covington.

[richyb83]

Wow Miami is as dense as anybody I bet. I have a Miami street map and it too looks like it could incorporate a much larger area( way more than BR). Miami's city limits just seems too small for some reason.

[NCB]

I've really gotten into this stuff!

One more not dense population figure I wanted to add was Jacksonville:

If you've ever wondered why Jacksonville was Florida's largest city..

Jacksonville- 782,623 in 785 sq. miles of land

Wow Miami is as dense as anybody I bet. I have a Miami street map and it too looks like it could incorporate a much larger area( way more than BR). Miami's city limits just seems too small for some reason.

Yea, Florida has very strict annexation laws, so places like Miami Beach aren't even officially in Miami.

[richyb83]

So true. That's always been a Jacksonville trademark IMO. I always wondered why they did that ? I know Indianapolis and Louisville did the same thing too.

[NCB]

Wow, that was quick ! Thanks for the info. Do the qualifications of moderator also include being an urban encyclopedia ?

Oh no, the credit goes to Wikipedia and my calculator! All you've got to know at some points is how many square miles a kilometer equates too.

No problem, Richy!

[NCB]

So true. That's always been a Jacksonville trademark IMO. I always wondered why they did that ? I know Indianapolis and Louisville did the same thing too.

Louisville and Indianapolis aren't that bad compared to some of these other cities:

Louisville- 700,000 in 385 sq. miles of land

Indianapolis- 792,000 in 362 sq. miles of land

You compare Indianapolis' 792,000 in 362 sq. miles to Jacksonville's 782,000 in 785 sq. miles and it seems like some extremely dense urban meca!

[richyb83]

I think Brian retired for the evening. I'm fading fast. It's funny how Wal-Mart thread turned into Dense Cities thread. It's all relevant.

Wikipedia or not, you are fast. Wow Jaksonville's area probably includes 25-30% wetland/swampy area that is uninhabited.

[NCB]

I think Brian retired for the evening. I'm fading fast. It's funny how Wal-Mart thread turned into Dense Cities thread. It's all relevant.

Haha, yea this is off-topic, but it's a productive off-topic. It's something interesting we can cover tommorow. And I think I'm going to take Brian's wonderful lead and hit the sack too. It's been nice talkin to ya Richy!