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.”