WAL-MART TO EXPAND IN LAKELAND, FL
Wal-Mart to Expand South Lakeland Store Into a Supercenter [The Ledger (Fla.)]
The South Lakeland Wal-Mart is getting a Supercenter upgrade.
The store, 3501 S. Florida Ave., will be expanded by 21,000 square feet and converted into a Supercenter with a full-scale supermarket, spokeswoman Quenta Vettel said.
The project also includes a new facade and is scheduled for completion in fall 2009. The revamped store, which first opened in 1985, will measure 148,000 square feet.
“It’s just going in remodeling, renovating, adding some square feet and bringing the grocery component,” Vettel said. “When at all possible and the market warrants it, we’re trying to take all of our Discount stores and upgrade them into Supercenters. It’s certainly something the company has been doing over the past few years to have all those services under one roof.”
Lakeland has just one existing Supercenter, at 5800 U.S. 98 N. Bentonville, Ark.-based Wal Mart Stores operates a total seven Supercenters in Polk County, in addition to two Sam’s Club locations in Lakeland.
In addition to general merchandise, Supercenter locations typically feature fresh meats and produce, deli sections and other supermarket amenities.
A former Wal-Mart discount store in Winter Haven, 355 Cypress Gardens Blvd., will hold a grand opening Sept. 3 to celebrate its Supercenter upgrade. That location was nearly doubled to 201,000 square feet.
Vettel said extra staff will be added to the new Supercenters, but could not give specifics.
In the grocery business, Wal-Mart ranks second only to Lakeland-based Publix Super Markets in Florida market share. Publix operates a total 673 supermarkets in the state, while Wal-Mart has 165 Supercenters, 41 Sam’s Clubs and a number of smaller discount stores and Neighborhood Markets.
The typical Publix supermarket runs between 40,000 and 50,000 square feet while the average Supercenter measures 185,000 square feet.
Posted by Tony Calero on Tuesday, August 05, 2008
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