Wal-Mart opens smaller valley stores

Jennifer Shubinski

Thursday, Jan. 27, 2005 | 11:09 a.m.

Despite a steady rain and roads torn up by construction the newly opened Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market at Silverado Ranch Boulevard and Bermuda Road had a packed parking lot and curious shoppers Wednesday.

The store was one of four Wal-Mart Neighborhood Markets that opened in the Las Vegas Valley early Wednesday morning. Unlike their supercenter counterparts, Neighborhood Markets are traditional-sized grocery stores meant to attract shoppers who might otherwise avoid a large Wal-Mart supercenter for small shopping trips.

"It allows customers to get in and out quickly," said Christi Gallagher, Wal-Mart spokeswoman. "It's for customers that may do the majority of their shopping at supercenters, but the markets allow for additional trips to the grocery store."

The other locations that opened Wednesday are at: 5850 W. Craig Road at Jones Boulevard, 6151 W. Lake Mead Blvd. at Jones, and 5545 Simmons St. at Ann Road.

A fifth Neighborhood Market is under construction at Hollywood and Lake Mead boulevards. Three Neighborhood Markets are in the planning stages, one in Henderson and two in the county, Wal-Mart officials said.

Neighborhood Markets, which are open 24 hours a day, are located in neighborhood locations, but are in a close proximity to supercenters.

Loading a full cart of groceries in to her SUV, Jessica Fonville said she was impressed by the store -- from its manageable size to the new shopping carts.

"It has everything you need, but it's not too big like the supercenter Wal-Marts," she said. "The produce selection also is better than the regular Wal-Marts."

Fonville said she shops at the supercenters once a week, but will most likely now patronize the Neighborhood Market.

The Las Vegas Neighborhood Markets, each about 39,000 square feet -- compared with a supercenter that averages 187,000 square foot -- offer the same low prices as supercenters, Gallagher said.

Wal-Mart Neighborhood Markets, which stocks groceries, pharmaceuticals and general merchandise, were introduced in 1998 in Bentonville, Ark., to target convenience shoppers and people who avoid a Wal-Mart Supercenter in favor of trips to small grocery stores.

The Neighborhood Markets also have a "grab it and go" bar that is located just inside the front doors. This section has donuts, pastries, newspapers and coffee, and a drop box for people to pay using an honor system.

Nationwide there are now 86 Neighborhood Markets in 14 states and expects to open 25 to 30 locations nationwide during this fiscal year. Neighborhood Markets employ about 85 people.

At the four store openings Wednesday, the United Food and Commercial Workers Union had pickets walking the sidewalks in protest.

Michael Gittings, secretary-treasurer of United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 711, said the union does not know when it will stop picketing the four Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market stores that opened Wednesday in Southern Nevada. The union began picketing the stores Wednesday.

"They pay substandard wages; they don't provide benefits," Gittings said of Wal-Mart. "They're bad for the community. People should buy their groceries at stores that provide good jobs and benefits and are good for the community."

Gallagher said Wal-Mart offers its employees health care and the average wage is $10.28 an hour.

In addition to its Neighborhood Markets, in the Las Vegas Valley Wal-Mart operates four Sam's Clubs, five Wal-Mart stores, and eight supercenters.