A 10,000-s.f. Wal-Mart with groceries, dry goods and a pharmacy opened July 27 in Chicago at Chatham Market at 83rd and Stewart Avenue. It is the first Wal-Mart Express in an urban area in the world, reports the Chicago Sun-Times. More than 500 people applied for the 20 to 40 Walmart Express jobs.
Wal-Mart plans to roll out 15 Walmart Express stores this year in three test markets: Chicago; Richfield, N.C.; and Arkansas. The stores, typically 10,000 to 15,000 s.f., feature fresh groceries, a pharmacy and health and beauty aids. Shoppers can have any item not offered in the store shipped there for free, or, for a fee, to their homes. Bill pay, money orders, money transfers, money cards and check-cashing services also are offered at the store.
In June 2010, Walmart announced the “Chicago Community Investment Partnership,” a five-year plan to open several dozen stores, create approximately 10,000 jobs and 2,000 unionized construction jobs, generate more than $500 million in sales and property taxes and develop charitable partnerships worth $20 million.
Wal-Mart’s eight other store openings planned in the Chicago area include Supercenter stores in Pullman at 111th St. and South Doty Ave. (spring 2013) and West Chatham at 83rd St. and Stewart Ave. (spring 2012); Wal-Mart Market stores in the West Loop at West Monroe St. and South Jefferson St. (fall 2011); West Englewood at West 76th St. and South Ashland Ave. (spring 2012) and Wal-Mart Market in Lake View at Broadway and Surf (winter 2012).
Wal-Mart Express stores will open in West Englewood at South Western Ave. and West 71st St. (winter 2012); in River North at Franklin and Chicago Avenues (fall 2011) and in Wrigleyville at Broadway and Addison (winter 2011).
The first Wal-Mart Supercenter opened in the Austin neighborhood of Chicago in September 2006. Wal-Mart operates 59 stores in the metropolitan area. Statewide, it operates 180 Supercenter stores, 28 Sam’s Club stores and five distribution centers. It employs 50,166 Illinois workers.
