November 4, 2009
Wal-Mart Thinks Big With Smaller Stores
Future Wal-Mart locations will be about 8 percent smaller and cost 16 percent less to build, as the retail giant seeks to reduce waste throughout its operations.
The store sizing effort is part of Wal-Mart’s Project Impact, which will see through a remodeling and repositioning of many locations, reports Triple Pundit.
Wal-Mart calls its Project Impact a means of “accelerating growth of new store designs capable of generating greater returns from current assets.”
Wal-Mart already has remodeled about 30 percent of U.S. stores and plans to have remodeled or built out 70 percent of its stores to the new standard by 2012.
Wal-Mart is extending the new store philosophy to other operating units.
Brian Cornell, president and CEO of Sam’s Club, said, “Sam’s also is increasing its investment in remodeling to improve operating productivity and efficiency, based on a new club layout.”
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Reader Comments
Thanks for the link. I love the new look!
Jen Boynton | November 4th, 2009
Interesting…But what about the stores Wal-Mart vacates when it builds a newer location literally down the street?
Kim Knickle | November 4th, 2009
While it is gratifying to see more companies incorporating sustainability into their building practices, it is disturbing to see a company, such as Wal-Mart, repeatedly receive positive press in an unbalanced manner that does not also report its egregious and unsustainable business practices (employment, forcing new new stores on communities, destroying the competition, market domination and subsequent dictation of supplier’s prices, etc).
Christine Murphy | November 4th, 2009
Not following. What does 8% smaller and 15% cheaper to build have to do with being more environmentally sound? Looks like the only news in this article is WalMart saved money.
Phil | November 30th, 2009