Wal-Mart sees Marketside as $10bn chain
From the: Financial Times
By Jonathan Birchall in New York
August 7, 2008
Wal-Mart, the world’s largest retailer, says the new small Marketside grocery stores it is to launch this autumn could expand to a chain of more than 1,000 stores, delivering $10bn-plus in annual sales.
The retailer plans to open 10 of the 15,000 sq ft Marketside stores initially, including four in the Phoenix area, where they will be competing directly with Tesco’s recently launched US Fresh & Easy store concept.
Wal-Mart’s executives have described the Marketside stores as a pilot project, although it is the first new store format to be launched by the company in a decade. But a job advertisement for the retailer indicates the scale of its ambitions for Marketside, saying the format “is expected to start with 10 stores and evolve to between 1,000-1,500 stores with over $10bn annual sales."
At less than a 10th of the size of the average Wal-Mart superstore, Wal-Mart said the new stores would be aimed at “the needs of a time-starved, higher-income consumer that is interested in convenience and premium fresh, natural and organic offerings.”
The approach contrasts with Wal-Mart’s experience with the Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market stores it launched 10 years ago, which are about the size of a traditional US supermarket.
In response to an inquiry from the Financial Times, Wal-Mart stressed the Arizona stores were a pilot project. The retailer subsequently removed from its website the job advert that included the more ambitious targets.
Wal-Mart’s superstores are built around high volume and low cost, and the group has faced challenges in adapting to the supermarket-sized Neighborhood Market stores it launched in 1998, opening more than 140 outlets. The Marketside stores will require a fast turnover of stock, which could be a difficult fit with Wal-Mart’s distribution system.
Tesco has opened more than 60 Fresh & Easy stores in California, Arizona and Nevada since November and plans to have several hundred operating during the next two years.
Wal-Mart, the largest US grocer with more than 20 per cent of the market, is developing the Marketside format as growth slows at its 2,500-plus superstores.
The Marketside format is also expected to spearhead a broader drive by the retailer to improve its overall grocery offering.
Safeway and SuperValu, two of the largest US supermarket chains, are also experimenting with small, local formats.
Fresh & Easy Buzz Editor's Note: Below is a selection of original reporting news stories, features and analysis about Wal-Mart's Marketside format stores from Fresh & Easy Buzz:
August 7, 2008: Food Retailing & Labor Unions: Canada's Supreme Court to Hear Case that Could Change Wal-Mart's, and Others, Non-Union Status in North America
June 24, 2008: Competitor News: Wal Mart Launches New 'Marketside' Website; Announces First Four Stores in Arizona to Open in the Fall Rather Than Summer
June 23, 2008: Competitor News: Wal-Mart's Marketside On A Hiring Tear; Getting Closer to Opening Small-Format Fresh Food & Grocery Stores in the Phoenix, AZ Region
June 20, 2008: Competitor News: Wal-Mart Executive in Charge of Small-Format 'Marketside' Format Development Leaving to Join UK Bicycle Retailer Halfords Group PLC
June 16, 2008: Wal-Mart and Tesco: The Cross-Atlantic Competition Continues to Heat Up; Almost Hot Enough to Make Uber-Cool British Secret Agent James Bond Flinch
June 9, 2008: Breaking News and Analysis: German Small-Format Discount Grocery Chain Lidl is 'Coming to America' By 2012 Says Chief Executive Klaus Gehrig
June 8, 2008: Arizona Region Market Report: First Signs of A Weakening Might Be Starting to Show in the 'White-Hot,' 'Super-Competitive' Arizona Market
June 6, 2008: Is A Wal-Mart 'Marketside' Small-Format Grocery and Fresh Foods Store Coming to Reno, Nevada?
June 6, 2008: Wal-Mart USA Chief Eduardo Castro-Wright Confirms Fresh & Easy Buzz Reportage on 'Marketside,' Adds Information From the WM Corporate Side
May 18, 2008: Wal-Mart Looking For Sites in California For it's Small-Format 'Marketside' Grocery Stores
April 11, 2008: Wal-Mart to Open Two More New 'Neighborhood Market' Stores in the Phoenix Metro Region; Still On-Track to Open New Marketside Stores This Summer
February 22, 2008: Wal-Mart and Tesco Locked in Heated Cross-Atlantic Competitive Battle in the USA and UK
February 12, 2008: Wal-Mart's New Logo For It's 'Marketside' Small-Format Grocery Stores Unveiled
January 18, 2008: Wal-Mart and Safeway vs. Fresh & Easy
January 16, 2008: Wal-Mart and Safeway Stores Could 'Box' Tesco in With New Small Format Stores
January 14, 2008: Citigroup Supermarket Industry Analyst Confirms Wal-Mart Small Marts in Arizona
January 14, 2008: Wal-Mart Confirms it Will Test New Small Store Format Later This Year
January 13, 2008: The Battle of the Retail Titans Begins: Wal-Mart to Open Small Format Stores in Arizona
From the: Financial Times
By Jonathan Birchall in New York
August 7, 2008
Wal-Mart, the world’s largest retailer, says the new small Marketside grocery stores it is to launch this autumn could expand to a chain of more than 1,000 stores, delivering $10bn-plus in annual sales.
The retailer plans to open 10 of the 15,000 sq ft Marketside stores initially, including four in the Phoenix area, where they will be competing directly with Tesco’s recently launched US Fresh & Easy store concept.
Wal-Mart’s executives have described the Marketside stores as a pilot project, although it is the first new store format to be launched by the company in a decade. But a job advertisement for the retailer indicates the scale of its ambitions for Marketside, saying the format “is expected to start with 10 stores and evolve to between 1,000-1,500 stores with over $10bn annual sales."
At less than a 10th of the size of the average Wal-Mart superstore, Wal-Mart said the new stores would be aimed at “the needs of a time-starved, higher-income consumer that is interested in convenience and premium fresh, natural and organic offerings.”
The approach contrasts with Wal-Mart’s experience with the Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market stores it launched 10 years ago, which are about the size of a traditional US supermarket.
In response to an inquiry from the Financial Times, Wal-Mart stressed the Arizona stores were a pilot project. The retailer subsequently removed from its website the job advert that included the more ambitious targets.
Wal-Mart’s superstores are built around high volume and low cost, and the group has faced challenges in adapting to the supermarket-sized Neighborhood Market stores it launched in 1998, opening more than 140 outlets. The Marketside stores will require a fast turnover of stock, which could be a difficult fit with Wal-Mart’s distribution system.
Tesco has opened more than 60 Fresh & Easy stores in California, Arizona and Nevada since November and plans to have several hundred operating during the next two years.
Wal-Mart, the largest US grocer with more than 20 per cent of the market, is developing the Marketside format as growth slows at its 2,500-plus superstores.
The Marketside format is also expected to spearhead a broader drive by the retailer to improve its overall grocery offering.
Safeway and SuperValu, two of the largest US supermarket chains, are also experimenting with small, local formats.
Fresh & Easy Buzz Editor's Note: Below is a selection of original reporting news stories, features and analysis about Wal-Mart's Marketside format stores from Fresh & Easy Buzz:
August 7, 2008: Food Retailing & Labor Unions: Canada's Supreme Court to Hear Case that Could Change Wal-Mart's, and Others, Non-Union Status in North America
June 24, 2008: Competitor News: Wal Mart Launches New 'Marketside' Website; Announces First Four Stores in Arizona to Open in the Fall Rather Than Summer
June 23, 2008: Competitor News: Wal-Mart's Marketside On A Hiring Tear; Getting Closer to Opening Small-Format Fresh Food & Grocery Stores in the Phoenix, AZ Region
June 20, 2008: Competitor News: Wal-Mart Executive in Charge of Small-Format 'Marketside' Format Development Leaving to Join UK Bicycle Retailer Halfords Group PLC
June 16, 2008: Wal-Mart and Tesco: The Cross-Atlantic Competition Continues to Heat Up; Almost Hot Enough to Make Uber-Cool British Secret Agent James Bond Flinch
June 9, 2008: Breaking News and Analysis: German Small-Format Discount Grocery Chain Lidl is 'Coming to America' By 2012 Says Chief Executive Klaus Gehrig
June 8, 2008: Arizona Region Market Report: First Signs of A Weakening Might Be Starting to Show in the 'White-Hot,' 'Super-Competitive' Arizona Market
June 6, 2008: Is A Wal-Mart 'Marketside' Small-Format Grocery and Fresh Foods Store Coming to Reno, Nevada?
June 6, 2008: Wal-Mart USA Chief Eduardo Castro-Wright Confirms Fresh & Easy Buzz Reportage on 'Marketside,' Adds Information From the WM Corporate Side
May 18, 2008: Wal-Mart Looking For Sites in California For it's Small-Format 'Marketside' Grocery Stores
April 11, 2008: Wal-Mart to Open Two More New 'Neighborhood Market' Stores in the Phoenix Metro Region; Still On-Track to Open New Marketside Stores This Summer
February 22, 2008: Wal-Mart and Tesco Locked in Heated Cross-Atlantic Competitive Battle in the USA and UK
February 12, 2008: Wal-Mart's New Logo For It's 'Marketside' Small-Format Grocery Stores Unveiled
January 18, 2008: Wal-Mart and Safeway vs. Fresh & Easy
January 16, 2008: Wal-Mart and Safeway Stores Could 'Box' Tesco in With New Small Format Stores
January 14, 2008: Citigroup Supermarket Industry Analyst Confirms Wal-Mart Small Marts in Arizona
January 14, 2008: Wal-Mart Confirms it Will Test New Small Store Format Later This Year
January 13, 2008: The Battle of the Retail Titans Begins: Wal-Mart to Open Small Format Stores in Arizona
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