Walmart’s very first Neighborhood Market in Illinois opens today in the West Loop. But wait, what about the Walmart that just opened on the South Side, which also claimed to be the first small outlet for the retailer in the city? Oh, well actually that was a Walmart Express and this is a Walmart Neighborhood Market, which are both completely different from that Walmart Supercenter stationed out on the far West Side. Confused? Read on for a bit of Walmart education.
Walmart Neighborhood Markets are about double the size of Walmart Express stores. This West Loop location is 27,000 square feet, while the South Side location is about 11,000 square feet. Both are nowhere near the size of Walmart Supercenters, which are often more than 100,000 square feet. This equation should help: Walmart Supercenter > Walmart Neighborhood Market > Walmart Express.
The Neighborhood Market is also essentially a grocery store, with over three-quarters of its space dedicated to food. That explains why we are writing about it here. Still, it’s kind of a strange location. Within a half mile are some most acclaimed restaurants in Chicago, including Blackbird, Girl & the Goat, Moto, and Next. That said, the affordable food will undoubtedly appeal to students at UIC and the Rush Medical Center. Do you plan on stopping by?
Wal-Mart opening ‘Neighborhood Market’ store in West Loop [Sun-Times]
