Retail Watchers

Story Road Wal Mart in San Jose is a former Super Kmart (but I don't think it is a Wal Mart Supercenter). There is also a Wal Mart Supercenter down in Sanger which is a former Super Kmart as well.

Susanville still has a Division 1 Wal Mart also.

Elk Grove has a Division 1 Wal Mart and then a Wal Mart Neighborhood Market (former Pak N Save) in the same parking lot. Funny arrangement but one way to address not being allowed to put up a Supercenter.

The Story Road Walmart was converted to a Supercenter a few years ago. It is very crowded and cramped. They did not expand the store.

Alpha8472 wrote: ↑October 7th, 2020, 5:15 pm The Story Road Walmart was converted to a Supercenter a few years ago. It is very crowded and cramped. They did not expand the store.

I wonder why Story Road is crowded and cramped? Super Kmarts were quite large.

It feels like a zoo with all the crowds of people waiting in massive lines with few registers open. You cannot socially distance when people block the aisles with their shopping carts and you have entire families taking up all the space. People are all yelling at each other and totally trashing the store.

Never shop at the busiest times of the day. You will want to tear your hair out.

Alpha8472 wrote: ↑October 7th, 2020, 8:27 pm It feels like a zoo with all the crowds of people waiting in massive lines with few registers open. You cannot socially distance when people block the aisles with their shopping carts and you have entire families taking up all the space. People are all yelling at each other and totally trashing the store.

Never shop at the busiest times of the day. You will want to tear your hair out.

I typically prefer to shop Wal Marts as late at night as possible. It is generally a very pleasant experience with few customers, a lot of active stocking of the shelves taking place so you can find what you need, and no lines to pay. Some of the smaller town stores are pleasant enough in the daytime though.

Walmart seems to be divesting itself of a lot of its international operations.

I assume that this is to make up for the money pit that ramping up its e-commerce operations created.

Walmart seems to be reducing its stake and/or exiting from the UK, Argentina, and Japan.

https://www.supermarketnews.com/retail- ... 8pcp4SIc10

arizonaguy wrote: ↑November 25th, 2020, 1:05 pm Walmart seems to be divesting itself of a lot of its international operations.

I assume that this is to make up for the money pit that ramping up its e-commerce operations created.

Walmart seems to be reducing its stake and/or exiting from the UK, Argentina, and Japan.

https://www.supermarketnews.com/retail- ... 8pcp4SIc10

The name of the chain in Argentina is Chango Mas (More Monkey). That alone could be reason for failure lol. Reminds me of when Chevrolet sold the Nova in Mexico (Which means 'it won't go' in Spanish).

But seriously, the Argentine economy has been very volatile for years. I can understand why they wanted to exit without retaining any equity.

I wondered how long they'd last in Japan. Seiyu was in bankruptcy when they bought it and if its profitable now, it probably required a huge investment to get there. Japan's department store sector has been struggling since the 90s, although some of the competition had been more weighed down by unsuccessful foreign expansions than overcapacity in the country. ASDA was another mess--over leveraged and a weak competitor. Just as their own domestic business was beginning to stagnate, they thought they could work wonders with these troubled businesses.

I hadn't realized that they sold out in Brazil or even still had operations in South America. Argentina has had lots of ups and downs (mostly downs lately), but a sizable middle class which might have been the attraction.

They really screwed-up in China because, unlike the Europeans who entered the market earlier, they made no cultural adaptations and didn't pursue joint ventures. Interesting that it's Sam's not Walmart that's expanding.

klkla wrote: ↑November 25th, 2020, 7:07 pm
The name of the chain in Argentina is Chango Mas (More Monkey). That alone could be reason for failure lol. Reminds me of when Chevrolet sold the Nova in Mexico (Which means 'it won't go' in Spanish).

But seriously, the Argentine economy has been very volatile for years. I can understand why they wanted to exit without retaining any equity.

There are Supercenters in Argentina with the Wal Mart banner that look quite similar to a US Supercenter (as in, not with the more extensive service grocery departments of the Mexico Supercenters). Even with Self Checkout, online order pick-up, etc.

Recall they exited Germany about 15 years ago.

However Wal Mart announced in the past year or so they are adding 500 new stores in China (both Wal Mart and Sam's Club). Is this still the case, who knows? We know how many times we've heard they were adding hundreds of Neighborhood Markets in the US and it seems to sort of stop before they get very far.

storewanderer wrote: ↑November 26th, 2020, 9:52 am

klkla wrote: ↑November 25th, 2020, 7:07 pm
The name of the chain in Argentina is Chango Mas (More Monkey). That alone could be reason for failure lol. Reminds me of when Chevrolet sold the Nova in Mexico (Which means 'it won't go' in Spanish).

But seriously, the Argentine economy has been very volatile for years. I can understand why they wanted to exit without retaining any equity.

There are Supercenters in Argentina with the Wal Mart banner that look quite similar to a US Supercenter (as in, not with the more extensive service grocery departments of the Mexico Supercenters). Even with Self Checkout, online order pick-up, etc.

Recall they exited Germany about 15 years ago.

However Wal Mart announced in the past year or so they are adding 500 new stores in China (both Wal Mart and Sam's Club). Is this still the case, who knows? We know how many times we've heard they were adding hundreds of Neighborhood Markets in the US and it seems to sort of stop before they get very far.

Wal-Mart also exited South Korea in 2006, a country which Tesco bailed from a decade later. Speaking of Tesco, they have done far worse in Asia, even selling off the profitable Thai/Malaysian operations. They have even sold off the Turkish and Polish divisions.
I expect Tesco to only have a presence in the British Isles by 2025.
I'm sure Wal-Mart will stick around in China. People in suburban/rural China seem to like them.