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Walmart Stores Go Small and Urban http://plannersweb.com/2014/02/walmart-stores-go-small-urban/?prin... <br /> mills *r lo, <br /> ,�. , , i �•too. <br /> I tell <br /> lie <br /> ■ . <br /> r. <br /> Design rendering of Walmart now under construction in Washington's Fort Totten <br /> neighborhood.Graphic courtesy of JBG Companies. <br /> Building an Urban Format Store <br /> Can Walmart build an urban format store? The answer appears to be yes, but it also appears that the <br /> only thing standard in an urban format big box store is its lack of standardization. Building suburban big <br /> box stores is simple. Buy a 20 acre suburban greenfield site. Build a large, free standing rectangular single <br /> floor building on a concrete slab. Plop the building in a sea of parking. A Walmart Supercenter in the <br /> suburbs of Atlanta, for example, is essentially identical to one in the suburbs of Chicago or Cincinnati. <br /> This model simply won't work in a dense urban area. <br /> The two things that have kept Walmart out of cities were its inflexibility on design issues and opposition <br /> from labor unions and civic activists who oppose the company because of its low wages and negative <br /> impact on existing local businesses. <br /> Now that it appears that Walmart is willing (when pushed by local government)to adapt its stores to the <br /> urban environment, it is likely only a matter of time before the retail giant moves into cities all over the <br /> country. <br /> Big Boxes are Getting Smaller <br /> Another thing that is clear is that big boxes are getting smaller. The new 80,000 square ft. Walmart in <br /> Washington is half the size of many suburban Supercenters. <br /> What's more, Walmart is creating new formats uniquely designed for cities. The new Walmart <br /> Neighborhood Market, for example, is only 40,000 square feet while the so-called Walmart Express <br /> 4 of 7 2/28/2014 11:50 AM <br />