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Walmart Stores Go Small and Urban <br />W <br />19 <br />http:'/plannersweb.com'2014.'02!walmart-stores-go-small-urban.'?prin... <br />stores are only 15,000 square feet. Walmart has even <br />opened two college stores, at Georgia Tech in Atlanta <br />-`-- and at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. 3 <br />Each of these stores is less than 5000 square feet in <br />size. <br />Walmart Neighborhood Market in Chicago's Loop. <br />photo by Eric Allix Rogers, Fhckr Creative Commons <br />license. <br />1 Store Type Square Footage Date Initiated <br />Discount Store a 106,000 sq. ft. 1962 <br />f <br />Supercenter 182,000 sq. ft. 1982 <br />Neighborhood Market 38,000 sq. ft. 1998 <br />Express Store 15,000 sq. ft. 2011 <br />' F <br />College Store Under 5,000 sq. ft. E 2013 <br />Times have changed. The country's largest retailers have oversaturated rural and suburban communities. <br />The only place left with more spending power than stores is in our cities. Walmart has made its urban <br />debut. The outstanding question remaining is: what impact will Walmart have on local economies and <br />wages? <br />Washington, DC, City Councilman Phil Mendelson, a co-sponsor of unsuccessful legislation that would <br />have required big box retailers to pay a living wage and benefits, expressed skepticism about the impact <br />of Walmart on the local economy. "I would say, having the world's largest retailer interested in locating <br />in the city where we've lost almost every other department store over the last four decades — that's a <br />good thing. Having an economic competitor who underprices the market and causes a descent to the <br />bottom, in terms of wages — that is not a good thing." 4 <br />While Walmart is clearly evolving to fit into cities, there is also evidence that the retail giant is willing to break <br />the mold in smaller towns and suburbs. <br />5 of 7 2/28,2014 11:50 AM <br />