Building an empire in New York - Wal-Mart Stores Inc., New York State

Discount Store News, August 3, 1992

ALBANY N.Y. -- Wal-Mart plans to open 11 stores in New York state this year and at least five more in 1993, including four in the state's Capitol District during the next two years, as part of its mounting invasion of the Northeast.

Separately, the discounter plans to open about a dozen Sam's Clubs in the state as part of its membership warehouse chain's mushrooming expansion in the region.

Wal-Mart's push in the Empire State includes adjacent openings of discount stores and Sam's Clubs in a number of sites.

The diversified retailer plans to initially support its Northeast expansion from the 1 million-sq.-ft. distribution center in Clearfield, Pa., that will open in fall 1993. But long-range, Wal-Mart is considering building a DC in New York state that would be better positioned to serve the New York/New England market, sources said.

The likely New York site is a 60-acre tract that's part of the 300-acre Interchange Commerce Center in Harriman in Orange County at the junction of two major highways: Interstate 87 and State Route 17. Orange & Rockland Utilities, which owns the center, has reportedly held talks with Wal-Mart, but the utility has denied any contact with the retailer. While Wal-Mart said there weren't any plans for a DC in Orange County, other sources indicated that the discounter projects opening a DC in the Northeast in '94.

The retailer had five Wal-Marts and two Sam's Clubs in New York at the start of the year. Its minimal growth during the two-year period in the state--one of the top three markets in the country--will still leave Wal-Mart's overall presence in New York short of the retailer's coverage in such states as California or Texas.

In central New York, Wal-Mart is due at press time to open in the twin cities of Johnstown/Gloverville, while its plans for metro Albany in 1993 include stores in East Greenbush, Wilton and Latham.

A Sam's Club is set to open later this year in Albany itself, while other clubs already planned for New York over the next two years include units in Fishkill--due this fall, along with a Wal-Mart as a co-anchor in the Westgate Business Center--Syracuse, Utica, Medford (suburban Long Island), Jamestown, Niagara Falls, Binghamton, Corning and Middletown--with the latter three clubs also twinned with Wal-Mart units.

Besides the Wal-Marts paired with the Sam's Clubs previously mentioned, other discount stores planned for the state include units in Messina, Watertown, Geneva, Newark, Batavia, Oswego, Buffalo and Niagara Falls (apart from the Sam's Club).