Walmart Taking On Convenience Stores

[Alpha8472]

Walmart has introduced its latest concept: Walmart To Go convenience stores with gas stations. Walmart started by opening up supermarket only stores, now they are opening up convenience stores with gas stations.

This could lead to Walmart appearing literally on every single street corner. Is this the unthinkable nightmare come true? Walmart is finally taking over the world.

Walmart Supercenters are boycotted and opposed in many cities around the country because they are huge monster stores that put every other store out of business. However, many cities are welcoming smaller Walmart stores in the forms of Walmart Neighborhood Markets. Those supermarket only stores are designed to run regular supermarket chains out of business. Now these Walmart To Go Convenience stores are popping up. They are small and seem harmless at first. However, if they end up appearing on every street corner and start putting tons of gas stations out of business we could have a problem.

Taking over the world a little bit at time...

Convenience stores are expensive and charge high prices. However, these Walmart convenience stores actually offer a large selection of items at low Walmart prices. This is new to the convenience store industry as convenience stores are places where customers are gouged left and right. Also, these Walmart convenience stores have deli counters. This is usually not found in most convenience stores except for some East Coast chains. The convenience store seems to offer much more variety than a typical convenience store. It is almost like a small market. There are prepackaged meals, salads, pizzas, potato salad boxes, and many more grocery items than a typical convenience store.

There is only one of these Walmart convenience stores now, but what about the future? Are gas stations and convenience stores in danger?

http://ksn.com/2014/03/20/first-walmart ... ntonville/

[Super S]

I am not a huge fan of Walmart.

With that said, I could see them doing very well with this concept, if they can maintain lower prices instead of the typically high prices found in most convenience stores. Being able to provide lower cost fuel without any gimmicks attached would also help, but that link doesn't make mention of that.

One problem with convenience stores in general, at least where I live, is that many people move in from other areas to purchase independent convenience stores and have no regard whatsoever for the communities they serve. They just want to make a buck at any cost. Stores are typically expensive, DIRTY, poorly maintained, and sell some products that could be considered drug paraphernelia. Sometimes such merchandise is displayed very prominently in a big case as you walk in the door. I turn around and walk out of stores that sell this type of merchandise. Also some will do things like purchase used car batteries (even though they do not sell them) without obtaining identification or anything, and in my area there has been a spike in battery thefts as the convenience stores started doing this. Somehow these types of stores seem to survive for years, with very few people patronizing them, and no employees other than immediate family, until they are pretty much ran into the ground.

Chain stores are slightly better with cleanliness, but since many of these are independent franchises, there are instances where the chains can also be very dirty.

Walmart, due to their size, and the fact that they already have an established distribution network in place, has the potential to really shake up the convenience store industry.

[jamcool]

Don't forget Kroger is a major operator of convenience stores, such as Turkey Hill, and has been adding more grocery items and fresh made meals to their c-stores.

The c-stores are more concerned about the dollar chains than Walmart.