Walmart to Invade Big Cities

Not even urban areas are safe anymore: In a move expected to be announced next month, Walmart is planning to expand into urban areas like New York City and San Francisco. The retail giant made its name building huge box stores around 200,000 square feet in size, but since 2008 it has been testing smaller stores called Marketside and Neighborhood Market by Walmart. The four Marketside locations average 15,000 square feet and focus on fresh food, and the approximately 200 Neighborhood Market by Walmart stores are about 42,000 square feet and sell a mix of fresh food, pharmaceuticals, and beauty and pet supplies. Now the retailer is looking to continue its push for smaller stores in urban centers, and has been eyeing locations in Queens and lower Manhattan. On Monday, Brian Sozzi, an analyst with Wall Street Strategies, said the new 20,000-square-foot stores will likely combine the Marketside and Neighborhood Market formats.