New Wal-Mart planned for the Westside! (Atlanta: buy, pharmacy, income)

[Newsboy]

Originally Posted by Atlantasfinest

These areas arent similiar at all and neither are the cases with regard to demographic. Tuskegee had a student population of no more than 2K students If that at the time. The AUC has over 12K and is located in the defacto Capital of the American South...Atlanta. Not to mention tons of families, singles in the area and young professionals who have a need for this store.

This store and development is perfectly situated in between NW/SW close to alot of happening areas. Downtown Atlanta is less than a mile away and Castleberry Hill and The West End are popular neighborhoods close by. I'm putting my money on WalMart and I believe they have done plenty of market research to make this happen.

I'm sure you are right. My only point was that Walmart VERY RARELY EVER IF NEVER fails ... and that's why this announcement is all the more incredible: They clearly believe they can succeed in this neighborhood. And that's a great thing for Atlanta. The Walmart haters need to put their money where their mouths are and shut up.

[waronxmas]

Originally Posted by aries4118

I think the Chamblee Wal-Mart is decently accessible to the Chamblee MARTA station...

Yup, it's only 2 and half blocks away and the #25 passes directly in front of it. This is exploited by the working class population of Chamblee, Brookhaven, Doraville and the Buford Corridor that by and large does not drive as is the case with the area around Vine City/Ashby Heights/AUC. As such, their parking (most of which is underneath the Walmart) is rarely if ever packed. Yet I have spent 30 minutes waiting in line at times because it gets so packed there with shoppers.

[K-SawDude]

Originally Posted by Newsboy

Curious -- where do all the Walmart haters shop? They could be saving a LOT of $$$ ... LOL

Just speaking for me here, but . . .

Trader Joe's, Publix, Kroger for food.
Target, Old Navy, Internet for most everything else.

Places like Costco and Trader Joe's are so, so, so much better than Wal-Mart in terms of labor practices alone. Here's some old-ish data on Costco vs. Walmart: How Costco Became the Anti-Wal-Mart

I'm willing to be persuaded that WalMart's had a come-to-Jesus moment and is starting to reform itself as a better company to work for--one that isn't putting corporate profits over local communities and eco-systems. But I've seen little evidence that they've changed their tune.

They were just awful in Chattanooga. Skirting environmental laws to create vast concrete parking lots, closing up shop after 4-5 years after decimating nearby smaller shops, and opening up even bigger stores a mile down the road. I don't trust them one iota and try to avoid shopping there. But if you've got evidence that they're really turned their philosophy around, please do post it.

As far as this Westside location is concerned--at least it's not one of these scenarios where there is a local ecosystem in danger, or a bunch of local shops that will be put out of business.

[testa50]

We are witnessing an important difference between Atlanta and many other cities. When many cities have done everything they can to fight a Wal-Mart coming to town--including in poorer areas--Atlanta's political leadership embraces the company and works with it.

This sort of stuff definitely has an impact on the way Atlanta is viewed in the business and development communities, and ultimately makes them feel more comfortable making investments here and trying out new and possibly marginal concepts (such as this one) on us. And that's most definitely a good thing.

[Newsboy]

Originally Posted by K-SawDude

As far as this Westside location is concerned--at least it's not one of these scenarios where there is a local ecosystem in danger, or a bunch of local shops that will be put out of business.

PRECISELY why this is a WIN-WIN situation for that neighborhood.

Also, a fact that's being overlooked which I think the article mentioned: This store will be roughly 80,000 square feet -- less than HALF the size of most Walmarts, and smaller even than most Targets today. That's really about the size of a typical suburban Kroger, and incredibly significant ... it shows that Walmart is thinking outside the "big" box -- and at the needs of this neighborhood.

[mikeg8u]

Nothing is going to survive on the west side. Publix came to that area to help improve the area. Other businesses and housing was promised by the city but nothing came about. I guess the city officials seen it as a loss to try to improve a area that the people whom live there don't care about themselves. Publix was robbed on a daily basis. It had to have undercover officers in the store and uniformed officers at the doors and throughout the store at all times. Great image the people of Vine City oppose of themselves. Just a bunch of crackhead junkies that steal to support their habits. Walmart is stupid for going in there. Boy do they have something coming to them. To bad they didn't open up this fall. It would be free Christmas gifts for everyone.

[waronxmas]

Originally Posted by mikeg8u

Nothing is going to survive on the west side. Publix came to that area to help improve the area. Other businesses and housing was promised by the city but nothing came about. I guess the city officials seen it as a loss to try to improve a area that the people whom live there don't care about themselves. Publix was robbed on a daily basis. It had to have undercover officers in the store and uniformed officers at the doors and throughout the store at all times. Great image the people of Vine City oppose of themselves. Just a bunch of crackhead junkies that steal to support their habits. Walmart is stupid for going in there. Boy do they have something coming to them. To bad they didn't open up this fall. It would be free Christmas gifts for everyone.

Such a positive and constructive first post, sunshine....

[OrlFlaUsa]

Originally Posted by Newsboy

Curious -- where do all the Walmart haters shop? They could be saving a LOT of $$$ ... LOL

Aldi (cheaper, better quality, and better pay than WM), farmer's markets, local grocery stores, with the ocassional trip to Publix/Winn-Dixie. By watching the sales in the paper, sometimes clipping/printing coupons, and buying local to avoid transportation costs and quality decline, I eat fresher, higher quality food for less of a price than when I lived in SC and did all my shopping at Wal-Mart.

[Newsboy]

You know Walmart sells a whole hell of a lot more stuff than FOOD?! Right? Look, I'm no Walmart homer -- I don't buy groceries there. But I'm no fool either. For one thing, when no other pharmacy in my town stocked a specific precription that I needed after a hospital stay, they had it ON THE SHELF -- and at the lowest cost to my insurance provider. Some of you haters could do yourselves a favor by getting over the propaganda you've bought into about Walmart. It's a much better company now. (I also find it laughable, the notion that all those other retailers mentioned somehow don't have similar business practices? As if that checker at Publix, Target or Aldi isn't making minimum wage ....)

[waronxmas]

Originally Posted by OrlFlaUsa

Aldi (cheaper, better quality, and better pay than WM), farmer's markets, local grocery stores, with the ocassional trip to Publix/Winn-Dixie. By watching the sales in the paper, sometimes clipping/printing coupons, and buying local to avoid transportation costs and quality decline, I eat fresher, higher quality food for less of a price than when I lived in SC and did all my shopping at Wal-Mart.

While I agree that another retailer such as Aldi (or my personal idea of a Sevananda type food co-op with a meat department and pharmacy) would have been better, there is just one little thing people are overlooking:

The city basically had to beg a retailer to invest in that neighborhood.

Contrary to the popular and incorrect assumption on this forum, Publix abandoned this particular location because it was not making sales goals, not because they were losing money due to stealing (I have yet to see any one who believes this post any kind of credible data and or information that this was the case).

In essence, the residents of this section of Atlanta do not have the luxury of picking and choosing which socially acceptable corporate mega food chain would build in that neighborhood. Without any type of over exaggeration, their choice came down to Walmart or a bodega with food items left over from the Clinton administration (ok, just a little bit of literary flair). Which would you choose?

Unlike most people in America, and on this forum, they do not have the luxury of picking and choosing in such a manner and are unaccustomed to national retailers investing in their area. Has it escaped anyone's notice that this particular neighborhoods only food and retail options provided by national chains is McDonalds and KFC?

I seriously challenge any person to spend any amount of time in that area and tell me that any company whether it be Walmart or Satan's Depot investing in that neighborhood could be seen as anything but positive.