Wal-Mart's super day: 23 supercenters in 14 states; discounter focuses on localized merchandising

Discount Store News, Feb 6, 1995

NATIONWIDE DSN REPORT -- "We opened 23 supercenters today and each is a little bit different," said Nick White, executive vp of Wal-Mart supercenters, at the grand opening of a 188,000-sq.-ft. food and general merchandise store in Panama City Beach, Fla.

The simultaneous openings Jan. 25 (just prior to the close of the corporation's fiscal year) were marked by typical Wal-Mart celebrations from upstate New York to the Florida panhandle, from the southern heart of Wal-Mart territory in Arkansas to new markets like Culpeper, Va.

They were also marked by the retailer's most intensive effort so far to micromarket its merchandise offerings to the demographics of the local trading areas.

"This is clearly the most unique supercenter I've seen. This store is merchandised better, more uniquely for this local community than any I have ever done," noted White, who had seen Wal-Mart open 119 food and general merchandise supercenters prior to the 23-in-one-day opening last month. Another grand opening a week later brought the total store count for the supercenter division to 143. This year, Wal-Mart will open 93 more supercenters, 12 in new trading areas.

"I don't think anyone else in the world could have done this," said White, referring to the number of units opened in one day by Wal-Mart.

The 24 units opened in January are located in 14 states: Rome, N.Y.; Norfolk, Neb.; Culpepper, Va.; Clearfield, Pa.; Harrison, West Memphis and Benton, Ark.; Troy and Osage Beach, Mo.; Paris, West Orange, Canton, Bellmead and Texarkana, Texas; Houma, La.; Dalton, Ga.; Dyersburg, Tenn.; Fremont, Neb.; Gulf Port, Miss.; Seymour and Madison, Ind.; and Ormond Beach, Titusville; and Panama City Beach, Fla.

Some of the unique aspects of the Panama City store, which replaced a 10-year-old, 60,000-sq.-ft. Wal-Mart discount store in this resort community, include: a 19-ft. by 16-ft. airbrush T-shirt shop, large souvenir department, full-line fresh seafoods, "Fresh From Florida" signing and an emphasis on the locally grown produce and fruit, 72-ft. run of beer (just waiting for the college students to come down for spring break), huge marine department with frozen bait, a 48-ft. run of sun care products and a fixture of games and puzzles that local store management found popular with the "snow birds" from Canada.

Four other supercenters visited by DSN Jan. 25 were almost as unique.

In Harrison, Ark., Wal-Mart ceo and vice chairman David Glass smiled and welcomed the good-natured ribbing from associates concerning his 1989 "donkey ride" at the Harrison store. Glass took a donkey ride in the parking lot during the grand opening of the then-new discount store that replaced the second Wal-Mart ever opened by founder Sam Walton. A special David's Melon Patch display offered watermelons at two for $5 and he accepted a donkey-earred hat from associates. The 181,000-sq.-ft. supercenter was built a mile from an 89,000-sq.-ft. discount store, now shuttered.

Wal-Mart's first supercenter in New York state opened in Rome, a community of 45,000 people.

The 200,000-sq.-ft. unit will soon be joined by supercenters in Oneonta, Cobleskill and Springville (south of Buffalo), N.Y., which are slated to open later this year. The Rome store is one of only six supercenters that were not replacement stores for older Wal-Marts. Three others opened on Super Wednesday in Texarkana, Texas, Clearfield, Pa., and Culpepper, Va., none of which replaced an older, outdated discount store.

New in the Rome supercenter: made-to-order fish and chips; enhanced jewelry program with upscale looking cases and higher price points; and a large McDonald's restaurant at the rear of the store.

The store offered local products bearing "New York Proud" signs. These included 11 varieties of bagels and assorted breads in the bakery; Oneida cutlery; Corning products; and Adirondak soda, to name a few.

"We've taken a Wal-Mart mix and tailored it to the local community," said Mark Schwartz, senior vp, operations for supercenters. "We're getting a lot better at tailoring to local markets."

In Canton, Texas, the smallest remaining Wal-Mart discount store was replaced by the smallest (so far) supercenter in this small hamlet about 60 miles east of Dallas. The 35,000-sq.-ft. discount store with only six cash registers, closed its doors for the last time the night before the debut of the new supercenter, which at 146,000 sq. ft. is the smallest in the chain, said store manager Van Chatham.

The Canton store is merchandised with its rural, mainly ranchero, audience in mind. The mixed ethnic makeup of Van Zandt County (population 45,000) is best reflected in the food department, which emphasizes both Tex and Mex. On the Texan side is a full offering from Double B brand, including fully cooked frozen familysize packages of baby back ribs, barbecued brisket and barbecued sausage.

On the Mexican side, the supercenter merchandises a full run of relatively exotic fresh produce, including corn husks, cactus leaves, tatuma squash, tomatillas, mansonilla, cilantro and 10 kinds of chiles and other hot peppers.